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JUpuMish^d byM. n^rruu. l'':Uu.^ \ 



LETTERS 

WRITTEN ON BOARD 

His majesty's ship the Northumberland^ 

AND AT 

SAINT HELENA; 

IN WHICH THE 

CONDUCT AND CONVERSATIONS 

OP 

NAPO LEON BUONAPARTE, 

AND HIS SUITE, 

3)URING THE VOYAGE, AND THE FIRST MONTHS OP HIS 
RESIDENCE IN THAT ISLAND, 

ARE FAITHFULLY DESCRIBED AND RELATED. 

BY WILLIAM WARDEN, 

Surge<»i on board the Northumberland. 
NON EGO, SED DEMOCRITUS DIXIT. 



PHILADELPHIA: 

FUBLISHED BY M. THOMAS, NO. 52, CHBSNUT STREET: 
J. Maxwell, Printer. 
1817. 



v-z^Y^'W^ 2-- 






e.< 



]^J INTRODUCTION. 



Having sailed in my professional 
character on board the ship which car- 
ried Napoleon Buonaparte to aS"^. 
Helena^ and ha\1ng remained several 
months on the island, the inquiries 
concerning him, on my return to Eng- 
land were so repeated, that I may be 
said to have been in a state of perse- 
cution from the curiosity which pre- 
vails respecting that extraordinary 
character. Circumstances, connect- 
ed with my profession, gave me fre- 

A 2 



quent opportunities of conversing with 
him; and with the principal persons of 
his suite, I may be said, particularly 
during the voyage, to have lived in ra- 
ther intimate society. 

The subjects of various conversa- 
tions with him and with them, I com- 
mitted to my Journal, from whose 
pages the following Letters were 
formed, with such additions as might 
occur to my recollection at the time 
they were written. — No idea, howev- 
er, could be more remote from my 
mind, than that they would extend be- 
yond the circle for whose gratification 
they were composed. But a wish for 
their publication seemed to meet me 
wherever I went; the most minute 
circumstance respecting the present 



vn 

point of Napoleon's career, appeared 
to excite an extraordinary interest, and 
I have yielded, rather reluctantly, to 
become an Author from persuasions 
I scarce knew how to resist; and to 
wliich I had some reasons to suspect 
resistance might be in vain. Whe- 
ther these Letters will answer the 
general expectations of those who 
have seen, and of a still far greater 
number of those who have only heard 
of them, I do not consider myself as 
qualified to judge. All I have to say 
in their favour is this: — That every 
fact related in them is true; and the 
purport of every conversation correct. 
It will not, I trust, bethought neces- 
sary for me to say more; — and the 
justice I owe to myself, will not allow 
me to say less. 

William Warden. 



. Vlll 

Fac Similes of the writing of extra- 
ordinary men are, I am told, particu- 
lar objects of research, and therefore I 
have introduced the graphic charac- 
ters of Napoleon, in a note on ge- 
neral Bertrand's Sketch of the Battle 
of Areola. 

The Medal was struck on Nap o- 
LEON'S marriage: the original, which 
is in gold, was presented to me by 
general Bertrand. He considered it as 
of great medallic value from its rarity. 
I have since heard however, that these 
medals are by no means uncommon^ 
at least in inferior metal. But be that 
as it may, an apology will not, I pre- 
sume, be thought necessary for hav- 
ing given an engraving of it. — At the 
same time it may be proper to observe, 



V * 




Fold-oi 

Pfacehol 



IX 



that the smaller circle is the size of the 
medal. The emblematic representa- 
tion was enlarged for the better illus- 
tration of the design. 



LETTERS 



JROM 



SAINT HELENA, m. &c. 



At Sea, 



HY dear- 



It is, certainly, not the first time 
that I have been induced to exclaim — how 
strange and unexpected are the occur- 
rences of life; how frequently is the calm 
of to-day succeeded by the storm of to* 
morrow, and the ordinary course of Na- 
ture interrupted by phenomena, which 
the philosopher himself is puzzled to ex- 
plain: But the world of politics illustrates 



12 

tiie doctrine of wonders as much as the 
operations of the elements. — Nothing, I 
presume, could have been less probable to 
the view of captain Maitland's mind when 
he was ordered on duty off Rochfort than 
the voluntary surrender of the ex-emperor 
of France and his suite, with bag and bag- 
gage, on board the Bellerophon. To have 
taken the ship in which he might have at- 
tempted to make his escape, was a natural 
expectation, as it would have been a proba- 
ble event; but the manner in which such 
an extraordinary^ person submitted himself 
to his custody, must have taken him, 
which could not have happened in any 
other part of his duty, by surprise* In- 
deed, to compare small things with great^ 
I cannot reconcile to my common notions 
of probability the subject of my present 
epistle, and that the letters which you 
would naturally expect to receive from me, 
instead of the common topics of a sea 
voyage, should contain an account of the 
conduct, and information respecting the 
character of Napoleon Buonaparte, from 



13 



tKe personal opportunities which my si- 
tuation so unexpectedly afforded me. 

Such has been the attention which this 
eminent person has attracted; so great the 
daily crowd of boats, and other vessels fil- 
led with curious spectators, (some of 
w^hom it is confidently said, have come on 
purpose from remote parts of the country, 
and even from London,) to snatch such a 
glimpse of him as could be caught at the 
distance they were obliged to keep from 
the Bellerophon^ on whose gangway he oc- 
casionally stood; that I feel myself more 
than justified in supposing the most trif- 
ling particulars, respecting him and his 
suite, to be welcome to you and those of 
our common friends, to whom you may 
choose to communicate them! and of this 
you may be assured, that I shall inform 
you of little that occurred after Napoleon 
put his foot on the deck of our ship, but 
what I myself saw and heard. My piece- 
meal narrative, for such it must be, will 
have the merit of authenticity, if it should 



14 



be thought to have no other. I have 
written down every thing respecting our 
distinguished passenger, as it has hitherto 
happened; and I shall continue to do so as 
circumstances occur, in the way best suit- 
ed to a seaman, by adopting the form of a 
Journal. You must, therefore, expect 
nothing but a succession of detached ar- 
ticles; a recital of domestic occurrences, 
if I may use the expression, on board a 
ship, as they occurred, when the ex-em- 
peror offered himself to my observation; 
and I shall begin with his short passage 
from the Bdlerophon to the Northumber- 
land. 



On the 3d of August, 1815, his ma- 
jesty's ship Northumberland^ captain Ross, 
bearing the flag of admiral sir George 
Cockburn, who was selected by govern- 
ment for this important duty, weighed an- 
chor from Spithead, and, after having 
contended with adverse winds, came with- 



15 



in sight of the Berry-head, a head-lan(i 
forming the extremity of Torbay, at an 
early hour of the day. She was there 
joined by the Tonnant, captain Brenton, 
bearing the flag of lord Keith, admiral 
of the channel fleet, accompanied by the 
Bellerophon^ captain Maitland, the latter 
ship having on board Napoleon Bi;o- 
NAPARTE. — As soon as signals were ex- 
changed with the approaching ship, a sa- 
lute w^as fired from the ISorthumherlandy 
and answered by the Tonnant. — Lord 
Keith, having had an interview with sir 
George Cockburn, anchored under Ber- 
ry-head, to avoid, as it was supposed, the 
eager curiosity of the very numerous visi- 
tors in all descriptions of vessels, who 
constantly surrounded the Bellerophon. 
The remainder of the evening passed 
without any occurrence that is worthy of 
notice. 

On the following morning, the count de 
las Casesy chamberlain to the ex-empe- 
ror, came on board to arrange the requisite 



16 



accommodations for his fallen master. The 
baggage followed — nor shall I attempt to 
describe the universal and anxious curios- 
ity which was displayed on board, to see 
the effects of the extraordinary personage 
to whom they belonged; the sole remain- 
ing possessions of a man who had so late- 
ly commanded the art, industry, and pro- 
duce of many kingdoms: But it was not 
calculated to gratify the expectation that 
awaited his arrival. One mahogany case 
indeed, was distinguished by the imperial 
arms, but the rest exhibited no better 
figure and appearance than the properties 
of an itinerant theatre. 

The count de las Cases does not ex- 
ceed five feet and an inch in height, and 
appears to be fifty years of age, of a mea- 
gre form, and with a wrinkled forehead: 
His dress was a French naval uniform. 
His stay on board the Northumberland 
did not exceed an hour; but, while he was 
employed in the hasty discharge of his of- 
fice, his diminutive appearance did not 



17 



fail to invite observations from the inquis- 
itive beholders. Some of them, I could 
fancy, expected herculean figures to be 
employed in the service of a man who had 
lately bestrode so large a portion of Eu- 
rope. If there were any under such im- 
pressions, and we never can answer for the 
impressions of the moment, they had cer- 
tainly forgotten, if they had ever been in- 
formed, that Alexander the great, the 
mighty lord of vanquished nations, is rep- 
resented in history as a man of small sta- 
ture — and, indeed, they were shortly to 
be convinced, that Buonaparte himself 
would not gratify any expectations of an 
athletic figure. 

From eleven to twelve we were prepa- 
red to receive Napoleon on board — and 
lord Keith, as it may be presumed, from 
a noble delicacy to his situation and feel- 
ings, declined receiving the usual compli- 
ments attendant on his rank, that they 
might, according to their settled form, de 
volve on the ex-emperor, whose sounding 
B 2 



18 

titles had passed away with the power that 
bestowed them. The rank of general is 
considered as adequate to all his claims 
on a government who never acknowledged 
him under any other. A captain's guard 
of marines was arranged on the poop, to 
wait his arrival, with orders to present 
arms and the drum to beat the roll 
thrice; the usual salute to a general oflS^ccr 
in the British service. 

The barge of the Tmxnant reached the 
Northumberland in a -few minutes after it 
left the Bellerophon.^ Our quarter-deck 
was covered with officers, and there were 
also some individuals of rank, who had 
come round from motives of curiosity, to 
view the passing scene. Besides the ob- 
ject of general attraction and attention, the 

* I have been given to understand that Buona- 
parte's conduct on board the Bellerophon had been 
such as rather to conciliate the good humour of all 
onboard, so that his departure was not attended with 
the slightest mark of disapprobation or disrespect, 
but with that kind of awful silence which accom- 
panies the fatal close of a public execution. 



15 



barge contained lord Keith and sir George 
Cockburn, marshal Bertrand, who had 
shared in all his imperial master's for- 
tunes, and the generals Montholon and 
Courgoriy who had been, and still continued 
to retain the titles of his aides-de-camp. 
As the boat approached, the figure of Na- 
poleon was readily distinguished, from his 
apparent resemblance to the various prints 
of him which are displayed in the windows 
of the shops. The marines occupied the 
front of the poop, and the officers kept the 
quarter-deck. An universal silence pre- 
vailed when the barge reached the side, 
and there was a grave, but anxious aspect 
in all the spectators which, in the opinion 
of others as well as myself, was no small ad- 
dition to the solemnity of the ceremonial. 
Count Bertrand ascended first, and having 
bowed, retired a few steps to give place to 
him whom he still considered as his mas- 
ter, and in whose presence he appeared to 
feel that all his most respectful homage 
was still due. The whole ship's company 
seemed at this moment to be in breath* 



20 



less "expectation. Lord Keith was the 
last who quitted the barge, and I cannot 
give you a more complete idea of the wrap- 
ped attention of all on board to the figure 
of Napoleon, than that his lordship, high as 
he is in naval character, admiral also of 
the channel fleet, to which we belonged, 
arrayed in the full uniform of his rank, 
and emblazoned with the decorations of his 
orders, did not seem to be noticed, nor 
scarcely even to be seen, among the group 
which was subject to him. 

With a slow step Buonaparte mounted 
the gangway, and, on feeling himself firm 
on the quarter-deck, he raised his hat, when 
the guard presented arms and the drum 
rolled. The officers of the Northumber- 
land^ who were uncovered, stood conside- 
rably in advance. Those he ap[)roached, 
and saluted with an air of the most affable 
politeness. He then addressed himself to 
sir George Cockburn, and hastily asked 
for the capitaine de vaisseau^ who was im- 
mediately introduced; but finding that he 



21 



did not speak French, he successively 
spoke to several others, till an officer of 
artillery replied to him in that language. 
Lord Lowther, and the honourable Mr. 
Lyttelton were then introduced to him; 
and, in a few minutes, he intimated a de- 
sire, though more by gesture than by 
words, to enter the cabin, where he conti- 
nued for about an hour. 

His dress was that of a general of 
French infantry, when it formed a part of 
his army. The coat was green, faced with 
white; the rest was white, with white silk 
stockings, and a handsome shoe with gold 
oval buckles. He was decorated with a 
red ribbon and a star, with three medals 
suspended from a button-hole. One of 
them represented the iron crown, and the 
others, different gradations of the Legion of 
Honour. His face was pale, and his beard 
of an unshaven appearance. Indeed, his 
general aspect justified the conjecture that 
he had not passed the preceding night in 
sound repose. His forehead is thinly co- 



22 



vered with dark hair, as well as the top of 
his head, which is large, and has a singu- 
lar flatness: what hair he has behind, is 
bushy, and I could not discern the slight- 
est mixture of white in it. His eyes, which 
are gray, are in continual motion, and hur- 
ry rapidly to the various objects around 
him. His teeth are regular and good; his 
neck is short, but his shoulders of the 
finest proportion. The rest of his figure, 
though a little blended with the Dutch 
fulness, is of a very handsome form. 

It may be thought, perhaps, that I am 
very minute in my description of this dis- 
tinguished person, — but I fancied you 
would expect it of me, and that your well- 
known predominant curiosity on the sub- 
ject must be gratified by it Besides, I 
may be naturally induced, from my stu- 
dies, my profession, and my habits, to ex- 
amine the human figure with an anatomi- 
cal eye; and, on particular occasions and 
with particular objects, I have sometimes 
ventured, for I may safely acknowlege it 



23 



to you, to indulge a reverie as to the con- 
formation of the human frame, and deduce 
notions, erroneous enough perhaps, from 
a comparative view of corporal form and 
structure, with intellectual capacity and 
leading dispositions. Indeed I am ready 
to acknowledge that I actually presumed 
to play Lavater a little with the late em- 
peror of France and king of Italy — but I 
shall not trouble you, at present, with the 
result of my vagaries. 

On returning upon deck, he engaged in 
conversation with lord Lowther, Mr. 
Lyttelton, and sir George Byngham, for 
an hour before dinner. It is understood 
that he complained of the severity with 
which he was treated, in being consigned 
to pass his days on the rock of St. Helena, 
buffeted by the winds, and amidst the waste 
of waters; and that he could not compre- 
hend the policy or the apprehensions of 
England, in refusing him an asylum, now 
that his political career was terminated.* — 
He continued to repeat a succession of 
questions to the same effect, with some 



degree of impetuosity; but it would be 
taking a liberty with Mr. Lyttelton, who 
principally maintained the discourse with 
him, to repeat that gentleman's replies 
from the inform.ation of others. I shall 
only observe, that they were accompanied 
with that courteous address which might 
be expected of him. 

In a conversation which I had with 
count Bertrand on the following day, he 
complained in very forcible terms, of the 
needless cruelty of their allotment. The 
emperor, he said, for that title he conti- 
nued to receive from his attendants, had 
thrown himself on the mercy of England, 
from a full and consoling confidence that 
he should there find a place of refuge. He 
asked, what worse f^ite could have befallen 
him, had he been taken a prisoner on 
board an American ship, in which he 
might have endeavoured to make his es- 
cape. He reasoned, for some time, on the 
probability of success in such an attempt; 
and they might now, he added, have cause 



2S 

to repent that his imperial master had not 
risked it. He then proceeded : — 

^^ Could not the emperor, think you, 
have placed himself at the head of the ar- 
my of the Loire? and can you persuade 
yourself that it would not have been proud 
to range itself under his command? And 
is it not possible — nay, more than proba- 
ble, that he would have been joined by 
numerous adherents from the Norths the 
South, and the East? Nor can it be de- 
nied that he might have placed himself in 
such a position, as to have made far better 
terms for himself than have now been im- 
posed upon him. It was to save the 
further effusion of blood that he threw 
himself into your arms; that he trusted to 
the honour of a nation famed for its gene- 
rosity and love of justice; nor would it 
have been a disgrace to England to have 
acknowledged Napoleon Buonaparte as a 
citizen. He demanded to be enrolled 
among the humblest of them: and wished 
for little more than the heavens as a cover- 



26 



ing, and the soil of England, on which he 
might tread in safety. Was this too much 
for such a man to ask? — surely not: nor 
could such a man imagine, in any moment 
of depression, if it were possible for such 
a spirit as his to be so depressed, that the 
boon would be refused him. It might ra- 
ther have been a subject of pride to Eng- 
land, that the conqueror of almost all Eu- 
rope but herself, sought, in his adverse 
fortune, to pass the remainder of a life, 
which forms so splendid an epocha in the 
history of our age, in any retired spot of 
her domains, which she might have allot- 
ted him." 

He acknowledged that Napoleon had 
consulted him as to the probable magna- 
nimity of the English government, on the 
measure then in contemplation; but in this 
instance, he said, '* I refused the opinion 
which he requested of me. It was not from 
any preconceived opinion to the prejudice 
of the English nation, no, — far from it, 
><hat I hesitated for once to obey him. But 



27 



I could not allow myself to become his 
counsellor in such a critical moment, and 
on a matter of so much importance to the 
comfort of his future life and the honour 
of his name. I was not afraid of any per- 
sonal injury being offered to him: of that 
I entertained not the shadow of an appre- 
hension; but I thought it not impossible 
that his liberty might be endangered, as 
indeed it was, by the resolution of that 
hour. I was so agitated by my hopes and 
my fears in alternate succession, that I 
could only beg of him to accept my loyal 
and faithful assurance that I would wait 
upon his fortunes whatever they might be; 
but it was for him alone to shape the way 
to them. Nor can I express," he added, 
^' how much I rejoice at my persevering 
resolution; for had any opinion of mine 
been accessary, in the slightest degree, to 
the situation in which I now behold my 
emperor, I should never again enjoyed a 
peaceful moment.'^ The terms in which 
he expressed his thoughts, and the tones 
which animated them, proved the state of 



28 



his feelings. There was a kind of soldier- 
like resolution in his manner; but I could 
perceive that sorrow was in his heart: 
and firm as I am in my loyalty as an En- 
glishman, and proud as I am, and as every 
man, born in our glorious island ought to 
be, of that distinguished name, and though 
his enthusiasm betrayed him into senti- 
ments and opinions, in which I could not^ 
by any means, acquiesce, I do not hesi- 
tate to acknowledge my disposition to ad- 
mire the emotions of this faithful French- 
man. 

Madame Bertrand's complaints were 
different in their character as well as lan- 
guage from those of the count her husband: 
her air and manner were sometimes even 
accompanied with a gleam of distraction. 
^^ What can you think," she once said to 
me, ^' of my situation? does it not appear 
to you to be most lamentable; and where 
are expressions to be found that can suit the 
description of it to the poignancy of my 
feelings? What a change for a woman 



29 



who had held a high rank in the gayest and 
most splendid court in Europe; where her 
consequence was such that thousands 
sought her smiles and were proud to bask 
in them. -The wife of count Bertrand, 
grand marshal of the palace of the empe- 
ror of France is now destined with her 
three children, to accompany an exiled 
husband to an insulated rock, where the 
pride of station, the pomp of life, and the 
song of pleasure, will be exchanged for 
a scene of captivity; and such, with all 
its promised attentions and indulgencies, 
it must appear to us, surrounded as it is, by 
the barrier of a boundless ocean.'' 

She was curious to know what the peo-^ 
pie of England thought of her husband; 
when I told her that, as far as I could judge, 
they entertained an higher opinion of him 
than of any marshal of France, and that 
his faithful attachment to Napoleon had a 
romantic air which was not without its ad- 
mirers in England. It was, indeed, in 
consequence of that determined feeling, in 
c2 



30 



opposition to what might be supposed to 
be his real interest, and the earnest entrea- 
ties of his family, that madame Bertrand 
had well nigh completed an act of suicide. 
The agonizing attempt to throw herself 
from the Bellerophon into the sea took 
place, it seems, in the evening of the day 
when Napoleon was informed of his future 
allotment, and, probably, at the moment 
when the afflicting communication was 
first made to her. 

The little Bertrands are interesting chil- 
dren: the youngest is between three and 
four years old; the eldest is a native of 
Trieste, and w^as born when his father was 
governor of the lUyrian provinces; the se- 
cond is a girl of an animated disposition, 
that betrays occasional symptoms of vio- 
lence. The military character appears to 
have almost exclusively seized on the in- 
fant minds of these sprightly urchins: from 
morning till night they are employed in 
fencing, marching, charging on a half- can- 
ter, in imitation of cavalry, &:c. &c. in 



31 

which the girl joins with a true Amazon- 
ian spirit, under the direction of a little 
French boy, who, I presume, was born in 
a camp. 

When I accidentally mentioned to ma- 
dame Bertrand, that it had been generally 
supposed she intended to have remained 
in England, for the education of her chil- 
dren, she, with a kind of wild, but inter- 
esting expression of countenance, not un- 
usual with her, vehemently exclaimed, 
*' What, sir, leave my husband at such a 
moment ! That is a degree of heroism 
which my heart disavows: though in a 
year, perhaps, I may be induced to re- 
turn,'' And on my suggesting that a fa- 
vourable opportunity would be offered on 
board the Northumberland^ she appeared 
to acquiesce in the probability of such an 
event. 

Neither count or madame Montholon 
can speak English: he is a handsome lit- 
tle man, and she a very elegant woman; 



32 



they have one Gommon comfort, and they 
seem to think it so, in a charming little 
boy: you must perceive, that I am by de- 
grees, though rather in an irregular man- 
ner, making you acquainted with the 
whole of our curious party; but you must 
be sensible that it is the best mode which 
I can employ. 

Buonaparte, previous to his leaving the 
Bellerophonl was, it seems, recommended 
to select three of his suite to accompany 
him to St. Helena, Bertrand was, at that 
time, supposed to be particularly proscrib- 
ed; but it is understood, that lord Keith 
took upon himself the responsibility of in- 
eluding such an attached friend in the num- 
ber of the exiled generals attendants. 
The others were the count de las Cases, 
who had been a captain in the French navy, 
and is a man of literary attainments; gene- 
ral count Montholon, and lieutenant-gene- 
ral Gourgond, his two aides-de-camp, who 
were devoted to his fortunes. The latter 
officers served him in the Russian cam- 



33 



paign, and describe the winter which they 
encountered there in all its horrors. The 
Russian cavalry they extol; but represent 
the Cossacks as easily dispersed. They 
do not appear to hold the Prussians in very 
high estimation, but consider them, at the 
same time, as superior to the Austrians. 
The English infantry, at the battle of Wa- 
terloo, filled them with absolute astonish- 
ment; but they represent our cavalry as 
much too impetuous; they probably found 
them so on that glorious day. 

In a conversation with count Bertrand, 
which happened to glance on that subject, 
he could not hide his sensations. The lit- 
tie he said, was in a plaintive tone, though 
expressed with candour, and accompanied 
with expressive shrugs of lament?ation. 
" We fought that day," he said, " for the 
crown of France; but you gained the bat- 
tle, and we are undone." I asked him 
whether he had read marshal Ney's letter 
to the duke of Otranto, in defence of his 
conduct on the bloody field. That public 



34 



cation, it appeared, he had not seen; and 
when I informed him in what manner the 
marshal had censured his master's con- 
duct, and that, in the public opinion, he 
was thought to have cleared himself from 
the imputation of erroneous conduct; — 
'' Well, well/' he replied, '' Had I been in 
the command of marshal Ney's division, I 
might, perhaps, have done worse: but, as 
I was, I saw much to blame ;" but, in com- 
paring Buonaparte with Ney, he cast his 
eyes upwards to the heavens, and suddenly 
lowering them to the earth, he exclaimed, 
with a very significant action. *' Indeed, 
indeed, the difference is equally great." 

From the information I received in my 
conversation with our French guests, it 
appears that the emperor's abdication in 
favour of his son, is a matter, which, as 
far at least as my knowledge extends, has 
been altogether misconceived in England; 
I mean as referring to the immediate and 
approximate causes of it. If the commu- 
nications made to me were correct, and I 



35 



am not willing to imagine that they were 
invented merely to impose upon me, a 
gniiid political scheme was contrived by 
Fouche to out- wit his master, and it prov^ 
ed successful. The name of that crafty 
politician and ready revolutionist is never 
mentioned by the members of our little 
cabin Utica without the accompaniment 
of execrations, which it is not necessary 
for you to hear, as it would be ridiculous 
for me to repeat. Not Talleyrand himself 
is so loaded with them as the arch- be- 
trayer, who has just been mentioned. It 
was, indeed, a decided opinion of the mo- 
ment, among our exiles, that Fouche would 
contrive to hang Talleyrand; or that the 
latter would provide an equal fate for the 
former; and that if they both were sus- 
pended from the same gibbet, it ought to 
be preserved as an object of public respect 
for the service it had done to mankind, by 
punishing and exposing two as consum- 
mate offenders as ever disgraced the so- 
cial world. The Historiette to which f 
have alluded, was thus related. 



56 



On Napoleon's return to Paris, after his 
disastrous defeat at Waterloo, and when 
he may be supposed to have been agitated 
by doubt and perplexity, as to the conduct 
he should pursue in that extraordinary 
crisis; a letter was offered to his attention 
by the duke of Otranto, as having been 
received by the latter from prince Metter- 
nich the Austrian minister. It was dated 
in the preceding Aprils and the diplomatic 
writer stated the decided object of his im- 
perial master, to be the final expulsion of 
Napoleon the First from the throne of 
France; and that the French nation should 
be left to their uninterrupted decision, 
whether they would have a monarch}- un- 
der Napoleon the Second, or adopt a re- 
publican form of government. Austria 
professed to have no right, and conse- 
quently felt no intention to dictate to the 
French nation. The final and ratified ex- 
pulsion of the traitor, (such was the ex- 
pression) is all the Austrian emperor de- 
mands of France. 



37 



Kapoleon seized the bait, and immedi- 
ately abdicated in favour of his son: but he 
had no sooner taken this step, than he dis- 
covered the double game that Fouche was 
playing. The letter was a forgery, and it 
soon appeared that the emperor of Austria 
had it not in his power, if he had ever in- 
dulged the contemplation, to clothe his 
grandson with political character. 

After he quitted Paris, the ex- emperor 
and his suite pursued an uninterrupted pro- 
gress to the sea-coast, and it is their opinion 
that they might have continued in an inac- 
tive state, and without any reasonable ap- 
prehension of disturbance, for a much 
longer time than Buonaparte's impatience 
would allow, in the vicinity of Rochfort. 

— On his first arrival among us, he oc* 
casionally expressed a wish to be informed 
of the contents of the English newspapers; 
but as it could not be a pleasant circum- 
stance to him, to be made acquainted with 
the (manner in which his character, con- 
D 



38 



duct, and circumstances v/ere necessarily 
treated and observed upon by our journals, 
there was a delicacy maintained in the 
avoiding a communication of their con- 
tents. That truth is not to be spoken, or 
in any way imparted, at all times, is a pro- 
verb which was now faithfully adhered to 
on board the Northumberland The count 
de las Cases had indeed offered to qualify 
his general in the course of a month, to 
read an English newspaper, with the re- 
quisite intelligence of the language; an un- 
dertaking which it is not very probable he 
would have been able to accomplish; but he 
could not induce his master to become his 
scholar: for the matter was cut short by the 
following reply. — '^ I well know that you 
think me a very clever fellow: but be that 
as it may — I cannot do every thing; and 
among those things which I should find 
impracticable, is the making myself master 
of the English language, in a few weeks/' 

— Here I shall conclude my first letter: 
or, as it may prove, the first division of my 



^9 

epistolary narrative; at all events, it will be 
ready for the first opportunity which oc- 
curs for its transmission to you. — If it tends 
to your amusement, or, in any degree, to 
the satisfaction of your curiosity, tant 
mieux: but be that as it may, it will give 
me the opportunity of saying— How do 
you do? — God bless you! as well as offer- 
ing my sincere regards and kind remem= 
brances to our common friends. 

Adieu, &c, &c. 



40 



AT SEA 



My dear , 

I renew my desultory occupation: — la 
tache journaliere^ telle que vous la voulez. 
On the first day of his arrival on board, our 
distinguished passenger, displayed rather 
an eager appetite: I observed that he 
^ade a very hearty dinner, which he 
moistened with claret. He passed the even- 
ing on the quarter-deck, where he was 
amused by the band of the 53d regiment; 
when he personally required them to give 
the airs of" God save the king,*' and " Rule 
Britannia.'' At intervals he chatted in a 
way of easy pleasantry with the officers 
who were qualified to hold a conversation 
with him in the French language. I re- 
marked that, on these occasions, he always 
maintains what seems to be an invariable 
attitude, which has somewhat of impor- 



41 



tance in it, and probably such as he had 
been accustomed to display at the Thuille- 
ries when giving audience to his marshals or 
oiScers of state. He never moves his hands 
from their habitual places in his dress but 
to apply them to his snuffbox; and it struck 
me as a particular circumstance t . which 
I paid an observing attention, though it 
might have been connected with his for- 
mer dignity, — That he never offered a 
pinch to any one with whom he was con- 
versing. 

On the subsequent day he breakfasted 
at eleven. His meal consists of meat and 

claret, which is closed with coffee.- At 

dinner, I observed that he selected a mut- 
ton cutlet, which he contrived to dispose 
of without the aid of either knife or fork. 

He passed much of the third day on 
deck, and appeared to have paid particular 
attention to his toilette. He receives no 
other mark of respect from the officers of 
the ship than would be shown to a private 
D 2 



.^- -. 



42 



gentleman, nor does he seem to court or 
expect more than he receives. He is pro- 
bably contented with the homage of his 
own attendants, who always appear before 
him uncovered, so that if a line were drawn 
round him, it might be supposed that you 
saw an equal space in the palace of Saint 
Cloud. 

He played at cards in the evening: 
the game was whist, and he was a loser. It 
tiid not appear to be played in the same 
way as is practised at our card-tables in 
England; but I am not qualified to explain 
the varieties. 

The whole of the next day Napoleon 
passed in his cabin. It was generally per- 
ccived by his attendants that he was sea- 
sick; but he was either so little of a sailor, 
if that can be supposed, as not to know 
the ordinary effects of the ship^s motion on 
persons unused to the sea, or he suspect- 
ed that his megrim arose from some other 
cause; for, it stems he would by no means 



43 



allow the salt water origin of it. None of 
his pt Ir I presume, would venture, on 
the o..v...oivjii, to repeat to him his brother 
Canute's practical lecture to his courtiers, 
on the unmannerly power of the ocean. 

Among his baggage were two camp- 
beds, vvhich had accompanied him in most 
ot hi . campaigns. One of them, a very- 
improbable destination when it was first 
constructed, was now an essential article of 
his cabin; the other was no longer to give 
repose to some military hero, in the hurry 
of a campaign, but is pressed by such a 
marine heroine as madame Bertrand, 
amidst the dashing of waters. They are, 
however, altogether as comfortable as the 
combined skill of the upholsterer and the 
machinist could make them. They are a- 
bout six feet long and three feet wide, with 
strong green silk furniture: the frames are 
of steel, and so worked and shaped, as to 
surprise by their lightness and the conse- 
quent ease with which they are moved. 
When I happened to be seated on one of 



44 

them, I could not but reflect on the battles 
of Wagram, Austerlitz, Friedland, &c. &c. 

This was a situation, where the politic 
cian and the sage might be inspired, as it 
were, to contemplate the changes and the 
chances of the world; but as I do not pre- 
sume to possess enough of those charac- 
ters, either distinctly or collectively, to 
justify my engaging in a train of reflection 
on these affecting subjects, I shall leave 
such employment to your better thoughts, 
and the exercise of your enthusiastic pro- 
pensity. 

Notwithstanding it blew fresh, and 
there was considerable motion, Buonaparte 
made his appearance upon deck between 
three and four, p. m. when he amused him- 
self with asking questions of the lieutenant 
of the watch: such as, how many leagues 
the ship went in an hour? — whether the sea 
was likely to go down? — what was the 
strange vessel on the bow of the Northum- 
beriand^ — In short, enough to prove that 
nothing escaped his notice. But I could 



^ 



45 



not help smiling when I beheld the man 
who had stalked so proudly, and with so 
firm a step over submissive countries, tot- 
tering on the deck of a ship, and catching 
at any arm to save himself from falling; for 
he has not yet found his sea-legs. Among 
other objects of his attention, he observed, 
that Mr. Smith, who was taking the usual 
to-and-fro walk with his brother midship- 
men, to be much older than the rest; and, 
on this account, he appears to have asked 
him how long he had been in the service; 
and, being answered — nine years — he ob- 
served, that surely is a long time.— It is, 
indeed, said Mr. Smith, but part of it was 
passed in a French prison; and I was, sir, 
at Verdun, when you set out on your Rus- 
sian campaign.'' Napoleon immediately 
shrugged up his shoulders, with a very sig- 
nificant smile, and closed the conversa- 
tion. 

I must here tell you, once for all, if I 
have not already made the observation, 
that he seldom or ever omitted an opportu- 
nity of askhig a question; and it was about 



46 



this time that he made a most unexpected 
inquiry of our orthodox chaplain: whether 
he was not a Puritan? I need not tell you 
what would be the reply, and you may 
conjecture, probably, what might be the 
feelings of a gentleman clothed in canoni- 
cal orders, and firm in canonical principles, 
when he was saluted with such an interro- 
gatory. 

He wished also to have his curiosity 
gratified respecting a religious community 
in Scotland called Johnsonians^ who he un- 
derstood, were a very active set in that 
part of Britain. His conversation, at all 
times, consisted of questions, which never 
fail to be put in such a way, as to prohibit 
a return of them. To answer one question 
by another, which frequently happens in 
common discourse, was not admissible 
with him. I can conceive that he was ha- 
bituated to this kind of colloquy, when he 
sat upon such a throne as that which sup- 
ported him, and before which no one spoke 
but when he commanded utterance: nor docs 



47 



he seem disposed to lay it aside when he sits 
in the cabin, stands in the gangway, orpa- 
troles the deck, of a ship, where he is sub- 
ject to the control of its commander. The 
foundation of this singular question, there- 
fore, was not attainable. As in the various 
plans he had laid for invading our tight 
little island, as the song has it, it is not 
improbable that he might have looked to- 
wards the Hebrides, as capable of favour- 
ing his design; and if so, doctor Johnson's 
Tour thither might have been curiously 
consulted, and may I not deduce these 
Johnsonians from such a combination of 
circumstances? — Many a doubt has been 
reconciled by more vague conjectures: 
that eminent writer's opinions, however, 
as you will probably suggest, are not al- 
together calculated to form a sect on the 
other side of the Tweed. But, badinage 
apart ^ I should be glad to know the origin 
of these Johnsonians^ and if we should be 
tossed and tumbled in the course of our 
voyage, into a sufficient degree of familiar- 
ity for me to ask the question of the ex- 
emperor, I will endeavour to be satisfied. 



48 



* He appeared to be very much struck by 
two long-boats (gigs) placed with their 
bottom upwards on our launch on the 
booms: their singular length attracted his 
notice, while their particular use and ap- 
plication produced such a succession of 
inquiries on his part, as almost to suggest 
an opinion, that he entertained a suspicion 
of their being a part of the naval apparatus 
peculiarly provided to prevent his escape 
from the island to w^hich he was destined. 
The answer he received was a quiet re- 
mark as to their general employment in the 
British fleets; to which he made no reply. 

The name of Talleyrand happening to 
occur in the course of conversation, with 
our French shipmates, tlie high opinion 
entertained of his talents by the Buona- 
partists was acknowledged, without re- 
serve. On my asking at what period he 
was separated from the councils and con- 
fidence of Napoleon, it was replied, at the 
invasion of Spain. I then observed, that 
the reports in England, respecting that cir- 



49 



cumstance were correct as to time, and I 
presumed were equally so as to the cause; 
his unreserved disapprobation of that bold 
and adventurous enterprise. This met with 
an instant contradiction; which was follow- 
ed by a most decisive assertion, that the 
prince of Benevento approved of the Spa- 
nish war, and founded his recommenda- 
tion of that measure on his unalterable 
opinion, which he boldly communicated 
to the emperor, that his life was not se- 
cure while a Bourbon reigned in Europe. 

I entered further on this subject with 
madame Bertrand, and she actually and 
most unequivocally asserted, that Talley- 
rand was in secret communication with 
Napoleon when they were last at Paris, 
and that he would have joined them in a 
month. His proposed departure from Vi- 
enna to take the waters at Aix la Cha- 
pelle was under the cloak of indisposition, 
to conceal his duplicity. ^' Can you per- 
suade yourself, madame,^' I said, '' that 
Talleyrand, if he had the inclination, pos» 



50 



sessed the power to influence the court 
of Vienna in favour of the son-in- 
law." '' The court of Vienna! "she ex- 
claimed, " O yes, yes: he has the ca- 
pacity to influence all the courts of 
Europe! If he had but joined the em- 
peror, we should, at this instant, have 
been in Paris; and France would never 

more have changed its master." -Of 

this man's virtues I heard no eulogium: 
but you will now be a competent judge 
how his political talents were appreciated 
in the French circle on board the Nor- 
thumberland. 

On my asking count Bertrand w^hich of 
the French generals had amassed the great- 
est portion of wealth; he, without the least 
hesitation, mentioned Massena; though, he 
added, they have all made very considera- 
ble fortunes. Macdonald, duke of Taren- 
tum, he appeared to think had made less 
than any other. Of Davoust, duke D'Eck- 
muhl, he spoke, to our extreme astonish- 
ment, in an animated strain of panegyric, 
which was instantly met with an outcry 



51 

from all who heard it, respecting the con- 
duct of that officer, at Hamburgh, which 
we represented as atrocious beyond exam- 
ple. This he would not allow; on the con- 
trary, he described him as a zealous, cor- 
rect, and faithful commander; and far from 
being destitute of humanity; as notwith- 
standing his notions of military obedience, 
which were known to be of the most rigid 
kind, he did not act up to the severity of 
his instructions. As for his taking a bribe, 
Bertrand declared him to be incapable of 
such baseness; and asserted, from his own 
knowledge, that a very large sum had been 
offered him to connive at the sailing of 
some ships from Hamburg in the night, 
which he refused with the disdain of a 
faithful soldier and an honourable man. 

Count de las Cases, also took up the 
subject of the marshals of France, and 
spoke of them with very little reserve. 
He described Massena as having been ori- 
ginally a fencing master; but, that, previ- 
ous to his campaign in the peninsula, he 
was considered by the French nation as 



B2 



equal, if not superior, to Buonaparte in his 
military capacity. From that period the 
count represented him as having dwindled 
into absolute insignificance. He is avari- 
cious, he said, in the extreme, though he 
has only one child, a daughter, to inherit 
his enormous wealth. He then proceeded 
to relate the following circumstance of the 
marshal, as the accidental topic of the mo= 
ment. 

" The preservation of the army, on 
crossing the Danube, was boldly attribu- 
ted by the soldiers who composed it, and 
consequently re-echoed as the opinion of 
the nation, to the superior skill, and per- 
severing courage of Massena. It ap- 
pears, that a sudden and impetuous inun- 
dation of the river had destroyed all possi- 
ble communication between its right and 
left bank, when half the French force had 
passed it. The remaining half were with- 
out ammunition, when Massena threw 
himself into the village of Estling, where 
he withstood fifteen repeated attacks of the 



53 



Austrians, and eiFected the escape of that 
part of the French army from the destruc- 
tion which threatened it. The eulogiums 
which the army and the nation lavished on 
Massena, for his conduct and the successes 
which crowned it, partook of that clamo- 
rous character which implied no inconsi« 
derable degree of blame and censure on 
Buonaparte himself, who was supposed to 
have felt it, But he contrived, neverthe- 
ess, to dissipate the opinion, by conferring 
the title of prince of Estling on Massena, 
as the merited reward, and magnanimous 
acknowledgment of a service on which 
depended, for the moment, the success and 
honourable issue of the campaign. Soult^ 
he said, was an excellent officer, and AVy. 
brave to a fault; but Suchet possesses a 
more powerful intellect, with more enlar- 
ged information, and political sagacity, as 
well as more conciliatory manners, than, 
any of the marshals of France.'' 

He then mentioned admiral Ganthaume, 
and asked what character was assigned^, 

E 2 



54 



in the English news-papers, to that naval 
officer. I repUed, that they gave him no 
small credit for his spirit in advancing out 
of port, and his success in getting back 
again. '^ Yes," he answered, with a sig- 
nificant look and tone, " cood at hide and 
seek." — He was the friend of Louis, and 
then of Napoleon, and then of Louis again: 
he is, in fact, what you call the Vicar of 

, I assisted him in completing 

the verbal expression, by adding the word 
— Bray; which he immediately caught, 
and exclaimed, — '^ Aye, aye. He is the 
vicar of Bray. — He is an old man," the 
count added, " but his indiscretions," 
which, however, he did not particularize, 
** were rather of a juvenile nature." 

In the afternoon our chief passenger 
continued longer on deck than he had done 
before, and his countenance denoted a 
feeling of disquietude. His questions all 
related to the state of our progress, and 
marked an impatience to arrive at the ter- 
mination of his voyage. He probably ex- 



55 



pericnced some degree of inconvenience 
from his confined situation, having been 
long accustomed to exercise that border- 
ed upon violence. His appearance, I un- 
derstand, was rather meagre, till about the 
time that he became first consul. If he 
had been otherwise, his campaigns in 
Egypt were sufficient to have reduced him: 
but though his exertions both mental and 
corporal have since been such as to destroy- 
any constitution but his own, which must 
have been of an extraordinary internal 
texture to have enabled him to sustain 
them, his health has rather been improved 
than impaired; and, during the last ten 
years, he has gradually advanced into cor« 
pulence. 

It is a singular circumstance that 
count Monthoion, whom I have already 
mentioned as one of the imperial aides-de- 
camp, is the son of a general officer of that 
name, whom Buonaparte served in the 
same capacity during the revolutionary 
war.— All the family^ except his father 



56 



and himself, have been decided royalists, 
and are possessed of large properly: but 
the general is dead, while the son has sa- 
crificed fortune, and abandoned his family, 
to share, with his wife and child, the ex- 
iled state of his former sovereign; whom 
it is his pride still to love and serve under 
that title, and with all the feelings of duty 
and loyalty which his enthusiastic fidelity 
attaches to it. 

I give you madame Bertrand's descrip- 
tion of young Napoleon, as very beautiful, 
in order to introduce his father's laconie 
English account of him. The boy, he 
says, resembles him only in the upper 
part of his form. *' He has one grand, big 
head/' The same lady, speaking of the 
Buonaparte family, represents the female 
part in terms of no common admiration. 
With the exception of the princess Piom- 
bina she describes the sisters as possessed 
of extraordinary beauty: with these char- 
ming women, therefore, and to use the 



57 

expression of the grand, big head of them 
all, I shall conclude my second grand big 
letter, 

&c. &c. &c* 



58 



At Sea, 



MY DEAR- 



I have already, I believe, mentioned 
to you that it was thought a becoming at- 
tention to the feelings of the French party 
to withhold from them the sight of the 
news-papers, which were sent off to us 
before we sailed. 

Count Bertrand took an opportunity to 
ask me if I had perused them; and, on my 
replying, as you may suppose, in the affir- 
mative, he proceeded to question me as to 
their contents. I accordingly informed 
him, that they had observed on the secret 
visit he was believed to have made to Paris, 
previous to Napoleon's return to France. 
His countenance on my communicating 
this circumstance, instantly indicated a 



59 



strong feeling of resentment; and it was 
evidently disclosed by the manner in which 
he replied. '* I well know" he said, '* that 
the English news-papers have accused me 
of visiting Paris in disguise, some months 
before the emperor's departure from Elba. 
But I solemnly declare that I never set 
my foot in France in the way that has been 
attributed to me. I might have gone to 
Italy, if I had pleased, but I did not quit 
Elba for a moment till my emperor quit- 
ted it. It has also been asserted on simi- 
lar authority. That I had taken an oath of 
fidelity to the king: an assertion that is 
equally groundless; for I never once be- 
held a single individual of the Bourbon 
family of France." 

I give you the account of Buona- 
parte's return to France, as it was casually 
and briefly related to me. — '' The duke 
de Bassano was the chief actor. Individ- 
uals had gone from several departments 
in France to Elba, and the then emperor 
had been introduced to suspect that the 



60 



allies determined to send him to the island 
to which he is now destined. On what 
authority this apprehension was ground- 
ed, not the most distant idea was commu- 
nicated. It is certain, however, that he 
entertained it with such seriousness, as to 
induce him to make the resolute attempt 
in meditation, before the connecting plot 
was ripe for overt measures in France. 
Even after his little army was embarked, 
a despatch arrived from his friends, which 
contained the most earnest entreaties to 
postpone his enterprise, if it were only for 
one month, — Whether, if he had received 
them before he had quitted the island, 
they would have been sufficient to check 
his impatience and quiet his alarms, was 
not a subject of conjecture: but be that as 
it may, whatever the counsels were, they 
arrived too late to be followed: — the die 
was cast.'* 

A circumstance occurred to-day which, 
as you may well imagine, created no 
small degree of interest among our pas- 



I 



61 

^^engers, as well as a busy scene of inter- 
rogation. — a French brig, with the white 
flag flying, bore us company. 

General Gourgon amused us with a 
variety of details respecting the campaigns 
in Russia and the Peninsula, which he 
himself witnessed: of these I shall only se- 
lect two or three: for recitals which will 
enliven the monotony of a quarter-deck, 
may not be worth communicating to those 
who are surrounded with the varieties that 
are to be hourly found in the large circle 
of social life. — He described the intense- 
ness of the frost in Russia with a degree 
of astonishment that afforded us some 
amusement. You may easily guess the 
wonderful contrast of situation, when a 
Frenchman, the native of so fine a climate 
and who had been serving in Spain, found 
himself transferred to a part of the globe 
where the tears became globules of ice on 
his cheeks; and where the soldiers, stu- 
pified as it were by the cold, in the act of 
ishaking themselves, to recover their feel- 

F 



62 



ing, would frequently fall down and in- 
stantly expire. 

He also mentioned the following cu- 
rious circumstance at the siege of Saragos- 
sa. — The French had mined a convent, 
where a body of Spaniards had taken re- 
fuge. The besiegers had no intention to 
destroy the building, but merely to blow 
up a wall, in order to frighten the besieg- 
ed mto a surrender. The explosion, how- 
ever, extended further than was expected, 
and a considerable destruction of the 
Spaniards took place; but sixteen of them 
were described to escape, as you will ac- 
knowledge, in a most extraordinary man- 
ner. They, it seems, ascended the spire 
of the church, taking with them an ample 
supply of arms and ammunition, with 
which, notwithstanding the utmost efforts 
of the French, they defended themselves 
with admirable gallantry and resolution 
for three days. But this is not all: at the 
end of that period it was discovered that 
they had made their escape from the peri- 
lous situation, to the extreme astonishment 



63 



oF the besieging party; who, as pious ca- 
tholics, might be justified in attributing 
it to the saving interposition of the guar- 
dian saint of the convento The means, 
however, which they employed were of 
mortal contrivance. By the aid of pack- 
thread which had been conveyed to them 
from an adjoining building, they contri- 
ved to draw up a sufficient quantity of 
ropes, with which they let themselves 
down from the elevated fortress, and ef- 
fected their preservation. This I think, 
may be added to the numerous histories 
of Castles in the Air: or, if I dare venture 
any thing like a pun to you, of Chateaux 
en Espagne. 

During the evening Napoleon addres- 
sed his inquiries to captain Beatty of the 
marines, who speaks French with great 
fluency. They related to the regulations 
and discipline of the marine troops, ^c. 
is?c.. Nor could he have chosen an officer 
who was better qualified to gratify his mi- 
iitary curiosity on the subject which at this 



64 



time employed it, — Captain Beatty had 
served with sir Sidney Smith in the east, 
and was at the siege of Acre; an event 
that is not among Buonaparte's most plea- 
sing recollections. When, however, he was 
informed of this circumstance, he treated 
it with great good humour, and seizing 
the captain by the ear, exclaimed in a jocu- 
lar tone, " Ah, you rogue, you rogue; were 
you there?" — ^He then asked what was be- 
come of sir Sidney Smithy when he was told 
that the gallant knight was at this time 
on the continent, and had submitted a 
proposition to the congress at Vienna to 
destroy the corsairs on the coast ot Bar- 
bary, an instant reply was given, *' That it 
was, as it had long been, most disgraceful 
to the European powers, to permit the ex- 
istence of such a nest of miscreants." 
This opinion confirms, in some degree, 
what has been suggested respecting a pro- 
position that Andreossi is said to have 
been instructed to make to our govern- 
ment, during the short peace with consu- 
lar France. In this interval of hostilities^ 



65 



a notion is entertained that the first consul 
proposed a co-operating expedition be- 
tween the two powers to destroy, root 
and branch, the piratical states of Barbary; 
on which occasion, as the story goes, he 
offered to supply the military force, if En- 
gland would engage to furnish all the 
naval implements, necessary to give effect 
to an enterprise so honourable to them 
both. — If such propositions were actually 
made, there can be no doubt that sufficient 
reasons then predominated for hesitating 
in the acceptance of them; and the hasty 
renewal of the war put an end to all fur- 
ther deliberations, if any^ had ever existed, 
on the subject. 

The next inquiries which Napoleon 
made, were respecting the British artillery 
service: they were addressed to the captain 
of artillery on board, whom he found com- 
pletely qualified to answer the numerous 
questions which he addressed to him. I 
understand that his first entrance into the 
army was in the artillery corps, and the 
j2 



66 



subject was consequently the more ii^ 
teresting, and a very few weeks only hacf 
passed away since he had fully experienced 
our field tactics in th t branch of war- 
far . — ^He descerd d into all the minutiae 
of the servi e, and inquired into the state 
and discipline of the non-commissioned 
officers, bombadiers, miners, and privates- 
of every character. T ie education of the 
cadets was also scrutinized, and he par- 
ticularly asked, i: they were instructed by 
professors in mathematics, natural phi- 
losophy, chymistry, &c. — ^ and in order 
that there migh be a clea^^ understanding 
as to the specific terms of art, he called the 
count de las Cases to assist in this scien- 
tific conversation. The only observations 
he made were those of surprise at our 
bringing twelve-pounders into the field, 
and the strength, as well as perfection, of 
this branch of the British military force,, 
of which he seemed not to have enter- 
tained an adequate comprehension. 

I premised, at the outset of my epis- 
^.oiary narrative^ that you were to expect 



m 



giidden transitions to tery unconnected 
objects; and I now give you an almost 
laughabk example, by passing from the' 
artillery of England to the crown jewels 
of France, of which Buonaparte recover- 
ed, as I understand, but one article, which 
was a diamond cross, whose value was- 
estimated at twelve thousand pounds ster- 
ling. I am also informed, that when 
Grouchy telegraphed the capture of the 
duke D'Angoulesme in the south of 
France, an order was instantly returned, 
that whatever property was found in his^ 
possession, should be instantly restored to^ 
him. 

You may probably have observed that 
eur chief passenger does^ not make his 
inquiries^ at random. —-Indeed, he always 
addresses them to such persons as, from 
their official characters, are particularly 
qualified to give explanatory answers: or^ 
which may be the most probable circum- 
stancCy the ofiicial appearance of persons 
whom^ he accidcntly encounters suggests 



68 



the subject of his interrogations, as his 
curiosity directs itself to the apparent de* 
partments of those with whom he at any 
time converses. He might, therefore, be 
induced to take me in my own way, when 
I was an object of his notice; and physic 
seems to be no unpalatable subject with 
him. He thinks very highly of exercise 
on horseback, as more conducive than 
any other to the preservation of health; 
and I have been informed that during his 
passage in the Bellerophon, and confident 
in the expectation that he shouM be re- 
ceived by our government, he frequently 
anticipated his enjoyment of the field- 
sports in England. 

Every one remembers the threatened 
invasion of England in 1805, and the va- 
rious conjectures which were formed on 
this momentous subject. It was not, ac- 
cording to my recollection, by any means, 
generally considered as practicable; nor 
did any very great apprehensions prevail 
that it would be attempted. I will, how- 



6$ 



ever give you my authority for the actual 
intention of carrying it into execution, 
Buonaparte positively avers it. He says 
that he had two hundred thousand men on 
the coast of France opposite to England, 
and that it was his determination to head 
them in person. The attempt, he acknow- 
ledged to be very hazardous, and the issue 
equally doubtful. His mind, however^ 
was bent on the enterprise, and every pos* 
sible arrangement was made to give effect 
to its operations. It was hinted to him, 
however, that his flotilla was altogether in- 
sufficient; and that such a ship as the Abr- 
thumberla?id would run down fifty of them. 
This he readily admitted: but he stated 
that his plan was to rid the channel of En- 
glish men of war," and for that purpose he 
had directed admiral Villeneuve, with the 
combined fleets of France and Spain, to 
sail apparently for Martinique, for the 
express purpose of distracting our naval 
force, by drawing after him a large por- 
tion, if not all, of our best ships. Other 
sq-uadrons of observation would follow* 



70 



and England might, by these manoeuvres^ 
be left sufficiently defenceless for his pur- 
pose. Admiral Villeneuve was directed, 
on gaining a certain latitude, to take a baf- 
fling course back to Europe, and, having 
eluded the vigilance of Nelson, to enter the 
English channel. The flotilla would then 
have sallied forth from Ostend, Dunkirk, 
Boulogne, and the adjoining ports. The 
intention was to have dashed at the capital, 
by the way of Chatham. He well knew, 
he added, that he should have had to en- 
counter many difficulties; the object, how- 
ever, was so great as to justify him in 
making the attempt. But Villeneuve was 
met on his return by sir Robert Calder; 
and having suffered a defeat, took refuge 
in Ferrol. From that harbour he was pe- 
remptorily ordered to sea, according to his 
original instructions; but contrary to their 
most imperative and explicit intent, he 
steered his course for Cadiz. ** He might 
as well," exclaimed Napoleon — raising his 
voice, and increasing his impetuosity, '* he 
might as well have gone to the East In- 



71 

dies." Two days after Villeneuve had 

quitted his anchorage before Cadiz, a na- 
val officer arrived there to supersede him. 
The glorious victory of Trafalgar soon fol- 
lowed, and the French admiral died a few 
days after his arrival in France: report 
says — by his own hand. 

Having given such a specimen of his 
active spirit, I am about to surprise you, 
perhaps, by the information that this man, 
who, in the course of his career, seems 
scarcelv to have allowed himself time to 
sleep, while he, for so many years kept the 
world awake, is now become the most de- 
cided sleeper on board the Northumber- 
land. During the greater part of the day 
he reclines on a sofa, quits the card-table 
at an early hour in the evening, is seldom 
visible before eleven in the morning, and 
not unfrequently takes his breakfast in 
bed. But he has nothing to do, and a no- 
vel will sometimes amuse him. 



72 

It had been a favourite conjecture, 
in several of the newspapers, that Buona- 
parte, who had risked death in so many- 
forms in the field of battle, and whose 
courage cannot, I should suppose, be li- 
able to suspicion, would, nevertheless, play 
the coward at last, and put an end to his 
life, rather than suffer the disgrace of be- 
ing sent a banished man and a captive to 
St, Helena. The prevalence of such an 
opinion reached the ear of the object of it, 
who calmly replied, — *' No, no, I have not 
enough of the Roman in me to destroy my- 
self." 

The subject was continued in conse- 
quence of the incidental mention of Mr. 
Whitbread's name, and the unhappy ter- 
mination of his life. That circumstance, 
as well as the political character of Mr. 
Whitbread, was not altogether unknown 
to Napoleon. After having described him 
as a faithful and active friend to his coun- 
try, but who never betrayed any illiberal or 
lo^cal prejudices against the enemies of it, 



73 



he seemed disposed to attribute the la- 
mentable event to the moisture of our 
climate. He was not ignorant of the ef- 
fects ascribed to our gloomy month of No- 
vember, and multiplied his questions as 
to the prevalence of fogs in our island, and 
their supposed effects on the physical sys- 
tem of its inhabitants, so as to produce 
those hypocondriac disorders and the tee- 
ditim vitt^j to which self-destruction is fre- 
quently imputed. He reasoned for some 
time with no common ingenuity on the 
unexpected topic, and concluded with 
this decisive opinion: " Suicide is a crime 
the most revolting to my feelings; nor does 
any reason present itself to my under- 
standing by which it can be justified. It 
certainly originates in that species of (ear 
which we denominate cowardice (poltro- 
neriej. For what claim can that man have 
to courage who trembles at the frowns of 
fortune. True heroism consists in becom- 
ing superior to the ills of life, in whatever 
shape they may challenge him to the Gom» 
bat.'' . 



74 



General Montholon is of a very cheer- 
ful, lively disposition; but madame, sa tres 
ohere femme^ is in continual application to 
medical assistance. Her emperor on in- 
quiring of Mr. O^Meara the state of her 
health, repeated the question of Macbeth, 
in the following manner: — 

" Can a physician minister to a mind diseased, 
" Or pluck from memory a rooted evil?" 

^* Madame Montholon," he continued, *^ is 
alarmed at the idea of St. Helena. She 
is destitute of that firmness so necessary to 
her situation, and irresolution is a weak- 
ness that is unpardonable even in a wo- 
man."* It is, indeed, very evident, that 
we are indebted for the company of the 

* Mr. Q'Meara was surgeon on board the Bel- 
lerophon; and, when Buonaparte's medical atten- 
dant declined a continuance of his professional 
duties, he volunteered his services; a circum- 
stance highly approved of by the commandei^ of 
the channel fleet. Nor should I be satisfied with 
myself if I did not bear testimony to his superior 
skill in his profession, to the honour of his cha- 
racter, and the virtues of his heart. 



75 

ladies in our voyage, to the romantic de- 
votion of the gentlemen their husbands to 
the object for which it was undertaken. 
Madam Bertrand could not even persuade 
her femme de chambre to quit Paris, till 
she had obtained permission for the wo- 
man's husband and son to accompany the 
suite, 

I shall now proceed to give the ac- 
count of an interesting conversation which 
I had with the count de las Cases on the 
final resolution of Napoleon to throw him- 
self on the generosity of the English go- 
vernment. He prefaced his narrative with 
this assurance; *^ No page of ancient his- 
tory will give you a more faithful detail of 
any extraordinary event, than I am about 
to offer of our departure from France, and 
the circumstances connected with it. The 
future historian will certainly attempt to 
describe it; and you will then be able to 
judge of the authenticity of his materials 
and the correctness of his narration. 



^^ From the time the emperor quitted 
the capital, it was his fixed determination 
to proceed to America,^ and establish him- 
self on the banks of one of its great rivers, 
where, he had no doubt, a number of his 
friends from France would gather round 
him; and, as he had been finally baffled in 
the career of his ambition, he determined 
to retire from the world, and beneath the 
branches of his own fig-tree, in that se- 
questered spot, tranquilly and philosophi- 
cally observe the agitations of Europe." 
On my observing that the good people of 
Washington might entertain very differ- 
ent notions of his philosophy, and rather 
contemplate with apprehension such a co- 
lony as he would establish, Las Cases re- 
plied, *^ Oh, no; the career of Napoleon's 
ambitin is terminated," He then pro- 
ceeded. 

" On our arrival at Rochfort, the diffi- 
culty of reaching the land of promise ap- 
peared to be much greater than had been 
conjectured. Every inquiry was made. 



77 



and various projects proposed; but, after 
all, no very practicable scheme offered it- 
self to our acceptance. At length, as a 
dernier resort^ two chasse-marees, (small 
one-masted vessels) were procured; and it 
was in actual contemplation, to attempt a 
voyage across the Atlantic in them. Six- 
teen midshipmen engaged most willingly to 
direct their course; and, during the night, 
it was thought that they might effect the 
meditated escape. ^' We met," continued 
Las Cases, " in a small room, to discuss and 
come to a final determination on this mo- 
mentous subject; nor shall I attempt to 
describe tlie anxiety visible on the coun- 
tenances of our small assembly. The em- 
peror alone retained an unembarrassed 
look, when he calmly demanded the opi- 
nions of his chosen band of followers, as 
to his future conduct. The majority were 
in favour of his returning to the army, as 
in the south of France his cause still ap- 
peared to wear a favourable aspect. This 
proposition the emperor instantly rejected, 
with a declaration, delivered in a most de- 
G 2 



78 

cided tone, and with a peremptory ges- 
ture, — That he never would be the instru- 
tnent of a civil war in France. He de- 
clared, in the words which he had for some 
time frequently repeated, that his political 
career was terminated; and he only wished 
for the secure asylum which he had pro- 
mised himself in America, and, till that 
hour, had no doubts of attaining. He then 
asked me, ^s a naval officer, whether I 
thought that a voyage across the Atlantic 
was practicable in the small vessels, in 
which alone it then appeared that the at- 
tempt could be made. I had my doubts,*' 
added Las Cases, '' and I had my wishes: 
the latter urged me to encourage the en- 
terprise; and the former made me hesitate 
in engaging for the probability of its be- 
ing crowned with success. My reply in- 
dicated the influence of them both. I 
answered, that I had long quitted the ma- 
ritime profession, and was altogether un- 
acquainted with the kind of vessels in 
question, as to their strength and capacity 
for such a navigation as was proposed to 



79 



be undertaken in them; but as the young 
midshipmen, who had vokmteered their 
services, must be competent judges of 
the subject, and had offered to risk their 
lives in navigating these vessels, no small 
confidence, I thought, might be placed in 
their probable security. This project, 
however, was soor abandoned, and no al- 
ternative appeared but to throw ourselves 
on the generosity of England. *' 

^^ In the midst of this midnight coun- 
cil, but without the least appearance of de- 
jection, at the varying and rather irresolute 
opinions of his friends. Napoleon ordered 
one of them to act as secretary, and a let- 
ter to the prince regent of England was 
dictated. On the following day, I was 
employed in making the necessary ar- 
rangements with captain Maitland on board 
the Bellerophon. That officer conducted 
himself with the utmost politeness and 
gentlemanly courtesy, but would not enter 
into any engagements on the part of his go- 
vernment; and with the exception of lieu- 



80 



tenant colonel Planat, every person in the 
suite of Buonaparte buoyed themselves 
up with the hopes that they should receive 
at least, the same treatment which had 
been manifested to Lucien Buonaparte in 
your country; and w^ith that consolatory 
expectation w^e arrived off the coast of 
England." 

The performance of divine service, as 
is usual on board his majesty's ships, to 
distinguish and offer due hont)ur to the 
sabbath day, happened to introduce a dis- 
course on the subject of religion with the 
principal persons of the suite; when we 
were generally informed that their chief 
had thought proper, after dinner, to speak 
on the subject of religious faith: his opi- 
nions it was not deemed necessary to com- 
municate any further, than that they were 
generally of the most liberal and tolerat- 
ing character. One circumstance, how- 
ever, it was thought proper to assert, as 
from his own instant authority — That his 
profession of the faith of Mahomet, and 



81 



avowed devotion to the crescent, in Egypt^ 
was a mere act of policy to serve the pur- 
pose of the moment. This fact appeared 
to be asserted with particular energy, from 
the knowledge possessed by the party com- 
municating it, of the abhorrence which 
Buonaparte's having declared himself a 
mussulman, excited in England. But the 
zeal of the moment was not calculated to 
throw any new light upon the manoeuvre, 
or to soften the original opinion entertain- 
ed of it. Indeed, I ought to have told 
you before, in order to account for any 
apparent knowledge of the opinions gene- 
rally prevailing in England, respecting the 
French revolution and the leading charac- 
ters in it, previous to the peace of Amiens, 
if allusions should have been made to 
them, — that the count de Las Cases had 
resided among us as an emigrant, till that 
event, 

I shall here observe, that whenever an 
opportunity offered, the zealous attendants 
of Napoleon, never failed to represent hin\ 



82 



in a manner, that might lessen any unfa- 
vourable impressions, which they supposed 
the English entertained respecting him, 
whether personal or political. The im- 
petuosity of his temper being mentioned, 
it was not denied; but his frequent, and 
even habitual correction of it was illus- 
trated by these two anecdotes, which De 
Las Cases, related as facts, among many 
others, known to himself. He related them 
in the following manner: 

^^ I was at St. Cloud, when captain 
Mieulieuse waited upon the emperor on 
his return from England. He had been 
taken in the Didon, by an English frigate, 
the Phoenix, commanded by captain Ba- 
ker.* On my introducing him, his ma- 

* A short time previous to the battle of Trafalgar, 
the Didon \vas sent from Ferrol by admiral Vil- 
leneuve to ascertain what English ships were off 
the coast. This frigate, carrying 44 guns, and 330 
men, had instructions to avoid fighting; but falling 
in with the Phoenix of 36 guns and 254 men, com- 
manded by captain Baker, her small size seemed 



83 



jesty said, in a very harsh tone of voice, 
** So, sir, you surrendered your colours to 
an enemy of inferior force: how can you 
answer for your conduct?" — *' Sire," re- 
plied Mieulieuse: *' I did my utmost; my 
men would fight no longen" ^' If so," 
answered the emperor, *' when an officer 
is disobeyed by his men, he should cease 
to command: therefore begone." About 
six months after this mortifying reception, 
and when his conduct had been inquired 
into, he was appointed to the command of 
a squadron at Venice. 

^* The emperor had a confidential se- 
cretary, a man of superior talents, who was 

to justify the French captain in disobeying his or- 
ders: he backed his main-top-sail and lay -to till the 
Phoenix ranged up along-side, and commenced the 
action; when, after a most determined conflict of 
three hours, part of which time they were on board 
each other, the Didoii struck, being a complete 
wreck. I was at that time surgeon of the Phoenix, 
and can therefore bear testimony to the admirable 
conduct and bravery of captain Baker, his officers 
and crew, on this memorable occasion. 



84 



blessed with a disposition so mild, and a 
temper so smooth, that it was almost im- 
possible to trouble the one, or to ruffle the 
other. The impetuosity of his imperial 
master, with the uncertain and unreasona- 
ble hours when he was frequently sum- 
moned to his duty, and the calm prepara- 
tion in which he was ever found to per- 
form it, sufficiently proves the character 
that has been given of him. Napoleon 
seldom took a pen in his hand; his general 
practice was to dictate to others, which he 
did with the rapidity of thought: and if an 
idea struck him in the middle of the night, 
the secretary in waiting was instantly sum- 
moned to transmit it to paper. This offi- 
cer had happened, on one of these hasty 
occasions, to have mistaken an expression 
as it was dictated to him, and, for this acci- 
dental mistake, was dismissed from the pre- 
sence in terms of the severest displeasure. 
The next morning the emperor sent for 
his secretary; and when the latter entered 
the saloon with his usual placid and undis- 
turbcd countenance, the emperor, with 



85 



rather an angry look, demanded of him if 
he had slept the preceding night? and, on 
being informed he had enjoyed his usual 
hours of comfortable repose, this reply was 
given: — then you have been more fortu- 
nate than me; so take your pen,' and a 
decree for a very liberal pension to the se- 
cretary was instantly dictated." 

It was wished, also, to counteract a no- 
tion which was imagined to prevail among 
us, that Napolean did not possess the ac- 
tive spirit of gallantry towards the ladies, 
without which a Frenchman does not be- 
lieve that any generous, noble, or heroic 
virtue can exist. Such an opinion, if it 
prevailed, was considered by his zealous 
champions as a most foul and groundless 
assertion. Among other proofs of his more 
tender nature, it was said, that he was sin- 
cerely attached to Maria Louisa; and it 
was added, a fond look from her eye would 
command any thing from his heart. (Re- 
member, it is a Frenchman who speaks.) 
At the same time it was avowed, that 

H 



86 



though she might possess his more perma- 
nent affection, her majesty was known to 
suspect the possibility of his straying into 
an occasional infidelity. 

It is indeed very well known, that the 
English ladies whom he saw from the 
gangway of the Bellerophon, drew from 
him very animated expressions of admira- 
tion. Miss Brown, a daughter of general 
Brown, is said to have fixed his exclusive 
attention, while she was in a situation to 
remain an object whose features could be 
distinguished. 

You may remember, perhaps, that some 
years since, when the marquis of Wellesley 
was secretary of state for the foreign de- 
partment, that sir George, then captain 
Cockburn, who commanded the Implaca- 
ble was particularly chosen to conduct a se- 
cret enterprize with baron de Colai, a Pole, 
to rescue and secure the escape of Ferdi- 
nand VII, of Spain, who was at that time 
confined in the castle of Valency. — I have 



1 



87 



now the means of throwing some light 
upon that interesting transaction, by the 
communications of those who were well 
acquainted with what I must consider as 
the unfortunate conclusion of it. 

All that could be done by the active, 
patient, and unremitting vigilance of cap- 
tain Cockburn, to whom so important a 
part of this secret design had been entrus- 
ted, was accomplished; and it need not be 
added, that the officers under his command, 
shared his persevering spirit. They, in 
due time, arrived at the spot, where the 
baron was to enter upon the part assigned 
him in the bold and dangerous stratagem; 
and, as an essential accompaniment of it, 
money and jewels were artfully concealed 
in different parts of his dress. He hoped 
to return in about a month, and all the ne- 
cessary signals were arranged in order to 
secure his retreat with his royal prize to 
the ship. Nothing more, however, was 
heard of the baron; and the Implacable 
after a long-continued, tedious, and ever- 
watchful cruise, returned to port. 



88 

The enterprising Pole now became the 
subject of various conjectures. He was 
successively considered as having betrayed 
his trust, or seized as a spy, and put to 
death; or that the weak, infatuated prince, 
for whose deliverance the enterprising ba- 
ron had devoted himself to so much dan- 
ger, had betrayed the plot, and involved 
his romantic adherent in the fatal conse- 
quence of such a discovery. But the mys- 
tery of the poor baron's fate was now to 
be unfolded. The necessary witnesses for 
the purpose were in court: Savary, who 
was minister of the police of Paris, at the 
time of this secret expedition, was in the 
suite of Napoleon, and could have no ob- 
jection to tell all that he knew of the busi- 
ness, while his master was on the spot to 
confirm or correct the statement. There 
was no difficulty, therefore, for sir George 
Cockburn, in his present high official cha- 
racter, to become acquainted with the 
finale of the bold baron's adventures; con- 
cerning which, it may be presumed, his 



89 

generous nature felt something more than 
curiosity. 

The baron, it seems, had arrived in safe- 
ty at the point to which he was destined, 
but almighty love appears to have demand- 
ed his first attentions. A lady, to whom 
he was ardently attached in Paris, was an 
irresistible object of attraction, and to that 
city he bent his first steps: but he had not 
been two hours within its walls before 
some of Savary's myrmidons seized the 
unfortunate and imprudent Pole, stripped 
oflP his clothes, with their valuable conceal- 
ments, and consigned him to a prison. So 
far the stratagem failed of success: but 
Buonaparte wished to know whether the 
imprisoned monarch was privy to it. A 
proper person was therefore selected to per- 
sonate the baron, and with all his false pass- 
ports and rich clothes, introduced himself 
to Ferdinand; but though the guards were 
purposely withdrawn, to give all possible 
facility for his escape, the imprisoned king 
h2 



90 



dared not encounter the danger ot trie 
attempt. 

On our approach to Madeira, the ha- 
zy state of the atmosphere precluded the 
possibility of seeing the island, until we 
got close between Puerto Santo and the 
Deserts. The latter rocky island is al- 
most perpendicular, and has some slight 
resemblance to St. Helena. This circum- 
stance I mentioned to De las Cases, and 
he instantly communicated it to Napoleon, 
who had quitted the dinner- table sooner 
than usual, and joined a few of us on the 
poop: but the comparison of what he now 
saw, with his gloomy notions of the place 
where he was shortly to abide, produced 
not a single word. He gave an energetic 
shrug, and a kind of contemptuous smile, 
and that was all. — The sloping front and 
luxuriant aspect of the island of Madeira 
could not but excite an unpleasant sensa- 
tion, when contrasted with the idea he had 
entertained of the huge black rock of St. 
Helena. — I had presented Johnson's Work 



91 

on the Influence of Tropical Climates on 
European Constitutions to his perusal. 
That writer has been very lavish of his en- 
comiums on St. Helena; but he acknow- 
ledges that he only lay at anchor off it for 
three days; and its acute reader ridiculed 
the glowing descriptions which were found- 
ed on such a transient and imperfect view 
of the place. 

A sirocco wind had blown for forty- 
eight hours previous to our arrival at the 
Madeiras, and had done considerable dam- 
age to the vines of the island. — The cir- 
cumstance will be indubitably attributed 
by the superstitious inhabitants to the 
malign appearance of Bounaparte on their 
coast; and all the saints were probably in- 
voked to hasten our departure. 

With the fine landscape of the ricli and 
fruitful spot before us, I conclude tliis let- 
ter My next may, perhaps, inform 

you of our arrival at the barren and rocky 
scene of St. Helena. But, wherever I may 



92 

be, you well know, I trust, with what 
truth, 

I am, &c. &c. 

W. W. 



At Sea, 



MY DEAR- 



Our great man seldom suiFered a 
day to pass without making particular in- 
quiries respecting the health of the crew; 
and the nature of such diseases as then 
prevailed among them, with the particular 
mode of treatment. The complaints then 
prevalent on board the Northumberland re- 
quired a free use of the lancet. We had a 
young, healthy, florid crew, on our quitting 
England, with constitutions liable to be in- 
fluenced with increase of temperature. He 
seemed to entertain a very strong prejudice 
against bleeding, which he called the San- 
grado practice, nor did he fail to treat our 
first conversations on the subject with a 
degree of humour and pleasantry, which 
proved that the great events of his life had 
not driven from his recollection the so- 



94 



lemn statire of Le Sage. He urged the 
propriety of sparing the precious fluid, un- 
der an apprehension of its deficiency, when 
as he conceived, the food on board a ship 
was not sufficiently nutritious to restore it. 
A Frenchman, he exclaimed, would never 
submit to the discipline of the Spanish 
doctor. And on my observing that the 
French did not eat quite so much beef as 
Englishmen, he peremtorily denied the 
fact; — ''to the full as much," he said, " but 
ihey cook it differently." — He was, how- 
ever, open to conviction; and when he had 
been made to understand the general 
health of our fleet, and had witnessed the 
good eflects of the practice which he had 
so forcibly reprobated and ridiculed^ he 
no longer argued against it; but always 
mentioned it w^ith some facetious observa- 
tion. On meeting me, he would apply 
his fingers to the bend of the opposite arm 
and ask — " well, how many have you bled 
to-day?" Nor did he fail to exclaim, 
when any of his own people were indispo- 
sed — " O bleed him, bleed him! To the 



95 



powerful lancet with him: that's the infal- 
lible remedy." He had, however, seen 

the good effects on madame Bertrand. 
That lady was attacked with an inflam- 
matory fever, when she submitted to lose 
two pounds of blood, as well as to abstain 
from wine and all animal food: but the 
sangrado system effected her cure, and con- 
firmed the proselytism of her emperor to 
the practice. 

Of his own state of health he has good 
reason to boast: and when it is considered 
to how many various climates he has ex- 
posed himself, and what a succession of 
toil he has undergone during the last 
twenty-five years, the excellent health he 
has enjoyed, and still enjoys, is altogether 
astonishing. He declares that he has been 
but twice, throughout his life, in such a 
state as to demand medical aid. He took 
a dose of physic for the first complaint; 
and the second, being a pulmonic affec- 
tion, required a blister. Mr. O'Meara, 



96 



his own surgeon, speaks with admiration 
of his temperament, and says, that his 
pulse never exceeds sixty-two. His own 
spontaneous account of himself is, that 
he is very passionate; but that the violence 
of his disposition soon subsides not only 
into tranquillity, but into coldness and in- 
difference. I have never heard that, in 
speaking ofhis constitution and uncommon 
state of health, he ever hinted at the ad- 
vances of age, or calculated the probabili- 
ties of his enjoying length of life. He has 
indeed been known to say, and to repeat 
the opinion, that he ought to have died on 
the day when he entered Moscow^; as he then 
had arrived at the summit of his military 
glory. It has been even said by some 
of his few surrounding friends, that he 
should himself have determined not to sur- 
vive it. 

i must beg leave to return to the subject 
of blood-letting, as a conversation took 
place which had escaped me, and is an ad- 



97 



ditional proof of his curiosity or anxiety, 
or perhaps both of them respecting it. He 
called me to him on the quarter-deck, and 
asked the following professional questions: 
" Can a person, labouring under a tropi- 
cal disease, requiring what you call the 
free use of the lancet, promise himself an 
equal share of health, eighteen months 
after, as he had before the system of deple- 
tion?" — ''.How long are the vessels filling 
after being partially emptied of blood; and 
what quantity can the human body lose 
without produciog death?" After reason- 
ing for some time on the subject of these 
questions, I surprised him with the account 
of a very extraordinary case then subject 
to my treatment. — A seaman was put on 
the sick list; the disease an inflammation 
of the stomach. On the second day the 
pulse beat 150 in the minute, and not an 
article of food or of medicine was retained 
by the stomach for two minutes. In the 
course of three days the patient lost fifteen 
pounds of blood; when the pulse, though 



98 



still full, was reduced to 87 beats. No- 
thing solid remained on his stomach for 
three months, nevertheless the man reco- 
veredc This you will say was a case in 
point; and enough to make any one a con- 
vert to the application of the lancet. He 
described to me a pulmonic complaint 
with which he was affected on his return 
from Egypt; and asked me what treat- 
ment I should have adopted in his case. 
" Would you have done as Covisart did? 
he blistered me twice." I replied that, 
most probably, I should have bled previ- 
ous to the application of a blister, as in the 
commencement of pectoral affections, they 
are generally attended with inflammation. 
The conversation afforded me, as 1 thought, 
rather a fair opportunity of asking him, if 
his sleep was generally sound; I felt at the 
time, that it was an adventurous question; 
nor would it have surprised me, if he had 
turned away without giving me an answer; 
but, with a look more expressive of sor- 
row than displeasure, he replied, *' No: 



99 



from my cradle, I have been an indifferent 
sleeper." 

Adieu, &c. &. 



100 




At Sea, 



MY DEAR- , C/ In^ 

I shall begin this letter, by introdu- 
cing a very interesting person to your at- 
tion; and who, in our various quarter-deck 
conversations, had not been hitherto men- 
tioned. It was the empress Josephine.-— 
Her name happening to occur, she became 
the spontaneous subject of very animated 
eulogiums; when she was represented as 
possessing a sweetness of disposition, an 
elegance of manners, and a certain melo- 
dy of voice that irresistibly charmed every 
one, without any exception "as to situa- 
tion or capacity, who were admitted to 
her presence. The sudden death of this 
excellent lady was very generally lamen- 
ted, and is attributed to a very extraordi- 
nary circumstance, and a very exalted 
personage. I will relate the event to you 



101 

in the words, as far as memory serves, in 
which the count de las Cases conveyed it 
as an undeniable fact to me. Josephine, 
it seems, had so far won the admiration 
and high esteem of the emperor Alexan- 
der, that his imperial majesty used to dedi- 
cate many of his leisure hours to the plea- 
sure of her fascinating conversation. His 
visits were not only frequent but continual 
during his stay at Paris. Her state of 
health was but indiiFerent, and on some 
particular occasion, her physician had pre- 
scribed medicines of a nature that requi- 
red the utmost care and precaution, and 
an absolute confinement to her chamber: 
but, at this time, the emperor paid one of 
his visits, when her respect for him render- 
ed her incautious, and she received the 
imperial guest in the usual manner. They 
walked, during the time of his stay, in the 
gardens of Mai- Mason; and the conse- 
quence of this promenade wa> fatah she 
was seized with a violent inflammation in 
the lungs, which defied all medical assis* 
tance, and in a few days she was no more, 
I 2 



102 

From the same authority I give you an 
account of her marriage with Napoleon, 
which certainly differs, as far as my recol- 
lection serves, from the credited histories 
of that event: it is not, however, for me 
to attempt a reconciliation of opposing 
narratives; but to relate, for your amuse- 
ment, what I have heard, and the author 
of my information: it is as follows: — 

An order which was issued by the con- 
vention to disarm the citizens, occasioned 
the introduction of Buonaparte, then a ge- 
neral, and high in military command, to 
Josephine. Her husband was said to have 
suffered eighteen months before the cir- 
cumstance about to be mentioned. He had 
left a son, Eugene Beauharnois, at this 
time a most interesting youth, who took 
an opportunity to address the general on 
the parade, and solicit his father's sword; 
which, according to the late order, had 
been removed from his mother's resi- 
dence. Buonaparte, charmed by the re- 
quest, and the animated modesty with 



103 

which it was made, instantly granted it. 
The mother wrote a letter the following 
day to thank the general for his kindness 
to her son. This grateful attention pro- 
duced a visit on his part, and the lady not 
being at home, she sent a note of apology 
and particular invitation. An interview of 
course followed: He was instantly capti- 
vated, and in six weeks they were married. 
It has been generally thought, I believe, 
that the second marriage did not obliterate 
his regard for her: and it is here asserted, 
by those who were qualified to form a cor- 
rect opinion of the matter, that he would 
have given more evident proofs of his re- 
gard, if the jealousy of the second empress 
had not interposed to prevent them. 

Having induced you, perhaps, to sup- 
pose that Napoleon was susceptible of 
love, I shall introduce madame Bertrand 
to persuade you, that he is not without a 
capacity for friendship. She related, ia a 
very impressive manner to us, the last in- 



102 

From the same authority I give you an 
account of her marriage with Napoleon, 
which certainly differs, as far as my recol- 
lection serves, from the credited histories 
of that event: it is not, however, for me 
to attempt a reconciliation of opposing 
narratives; but to relate, for your amuse- 
ment, what I have heard, and the author 
of my information: it is as follows: — 

An order which was issued by the con- 
vention to disarm the citizens, occasioned 
the introduction of Buonaparte, then a ge- 
neral, and high in military command, to 
Josephine. Her husband was said to have 
suffered eighteen months before the cir- 
cumstance about to be mentioned. He had 
left a son, Eugene Beauharnois, at this 
time a most interesting youth, who took 
an opportunity to address the general on 
the parade, and solicit his father's sword; 
which, according to the late order, had 
be^n removed from his mother's resi- 
dence. Buonaparte, charmed by the re- 
quest, and the animated modesty with 



103 

which it was made, instantly granted it. 
The mother wrote a letter the following 
day to thank the general for his kindness 
to her son. This grateful attention pro- 
duced a visit on his part, and the lady not 
being at home, she sent a note of apology 
and particular invitation. An interview of 
course followed: He was instantly capti- 
vated, and in six weeks they were married. 
It has been generally thought, I believe, 
that the second marriage did not obliterate 
his regard for her: and it is here asserted, 
by those who were qualified to form a cor- 
rect opinion of the matter, that he would 
have given more evident proofs of his re- 
gard, if the jealousy of the second empress 
had not interposed to prevent them. 

Having induced you, perhaps, to sup- 
pose that Napoleon was susceptible of 
love, I shall introduce madame Bertrand 
to persuade you, that he is not without a 
capacity for friendship. She related, in a 
very impressive manner to us, the last in- 



104 

terview with Duroc, duke of Frieuli, and- 
his afflicted sovereign. 

That officer, who, as it will appear, stood 
high in his master's regard and confidence, 
was struck by a cannon-ball, as he was re- 
connoitring the position for a night en- 
campment of the army, and his bowels fell 
to the ground; when he had the extraor- 
dinary resolution to collect and replace 
them with his own hands, on tlie spot. In 
this hopeless state he was removed to a 
neighbouring cottage, where he survived 
twenty-four hours. A mortification soon 
took place, and a very offensive smell be- 
gan to issue from his body, which continu- 
ed to increase. After he had been some 
time in this state, the emperor came to vi- 
liit and console him. The dying man, after 
expressing his acknowledgments to his 
master for this gracious act of kindness, 
which he accompanied with sentiments of 
the utmost loyalty and devotion, recom- 
mended his wife and daughter to the im- 
perial protection; and then entreated him 



105 

to depart, lest the effluvia proceeding from 
him might be attended with infection. 
She represented Napoleon's grief as per- 
fectly romantic, and stated as a fact, that 
he lay, for it is not to be supposed that he 
slept, a whole night on the stone which 
covered the grave of his friend. 

She also mentioned that he possessed 
an equal attachment to Lasnes, duke of 
Montebello, who was killed at the battle 
of Esling, when a similar scene of afflic- 
tion and regard took place. That brave 
officer had been obliged to submit to the 
amputation of one leg just below the knee, 
and the other just above the ancle. Buona- 
parte and Bertrand visited him in this un- 
happy condition, on the left bank of the 
Danube. Bertrand was endeavouring to 
console him by comparing his situation to 
that of the brave Caffarelli, when he, with 
a certain eagerness of expression, thus in- 
terrupted him: '' The attachment of Caf- 
farelli to the emperor was cold, when com- 
pared with the affectioo which I feeL'' 



106 

It was on a Sunday, at the admi- 
ral's table, that Buonaparte catechised the 
chaplain of the Northumberland in the fol- 
lowing curious and unexpected manner: 
though the learned divine is well qualified 
to have answered a far more profound in- 
quiry respecting the faith which he teaches, 
and the things that belong to it. 

How many sacraments does the church 
of England acknowledge? 

Two — Baptism and the Lord's supper. 

Does not the church of England consi- 
der marriage as a sacrament? 

No. 

What are the tenets of the church of 
England? 

The tenets of the church of England are 
Lutheran, or episcopal protestant. 

How often is the sacrament of the Lord's 
supper administered? 

In the churches of the metropolis, and 
other cities and large towns, the eucharist 
is observed monthly; but in the country 
churches, where the population is not so 



107 

large, quarterly. The festivals of the nati- 
vity of our Saviour, ©r Christmas day; of 
the resurrection, or Easter Sunday; the 
descent of the Holy Ghost, or Whit- 
sunday; and the feast of St. Michael, are 
the quarterly observations of the eucharist. 

Do all the communicants drink out of 
the same cup? — They do. 

Is the bread made use of in the sacra- 
ment common bread? 

The bread is of wheat, and the best that 
can be conveniently procured. 

Supposing that wine could not be pro- 
cured in the administration of the sacra* 
ment, would any other liquid be allowed 
as its substitute? 

It is not at all probable that a case of this 
kind ever occurred: wine being to be 
procured in every part of the kingdom. 

Do the bishops frequently preach? 

Seldom but on extraordinary occasions. 

Do they wear the mitre? 

I believe I may venture to say — never. 
Though I cannot affirm whether the arch- 



108 

bishops do or do not wear the mitre, when 
they crown the king. 

Have not the bishops a seat in the house 
of peers? 

They have. 

How long is it requisite for persons 
who are candidates for holy orders at the 
university, to have resided there? 

Four years: — but previous to their be- 
coming members of the university, they 
are generally seven or eight years at a clas- 
bical school. 

Of how long standing must a person be 
in the university, before the degree of a 
doctor of divinity? 

Nineteen years from the time of his 
matriculation. 

Which are the most approved places 
of education for the candidates for holy 
orders? 

The universities of Oxford and Cam- 
bridge. 

Are there many puritans (meaning pres- 
byterians) in England? 

There are a great many. 



109 

What are the religious tenets of the 
church of Scotland? 

The tenets of that church are calvinis- 
tic. They do not allow episcopacy or the 
government by bishops. They are pres- 
byterians, because they hold the govern- 
ment of priests, and presbyters or elders. 

To whose custody are the registers of 
baptisms, marriages, and deaths commit- 
ted? 

They are generally entrusted to the care 
of the minister; but it is a more regular 
proceeding to keep them in a strong chest 
which remains in the vestry-room of the 
parish church. This chest is guarded by 
three locks of different construction; so 
that it cannot, or at least ought not, to be 
opened, without the concurrence of three 
persons — the minister, and the two church 
wardens; who, each of them, possess their 
official and separate key. — The idea of 
keys and locking up, might not excite sen- 
sations altogether pleasing to the extraordi- 
nary captive, for here he closed his inqui- 
ries. 

K 



110 

It may be said that every thing is pos- 
sible, if it should please God; as was ob- 
served according to the story, by a Dutch 
burgo-master, when a man was brought 
before him who was accused of having bit 
off his own nose. But at all events, it may 
be considered as a very striking article of 
the chapter of improbabilities, in any pre- 
ceding part of Bounaparte's life, that he 
should ever be found catechizing the chap- 
lain on board an English man of war 
bound for St, Helena, respecting the forms 
ceremonies, tenets, &c. of the Anglican 
church. 

— The ceremony of crossing the line, a 
day of jubilee to the voyagers of every 
maritime nation, is so well known, that 
it would be superfluous to give a minute 
description of it; though more than usual 
ceremony was displayed on the present 
occasion: and it must be acknowledged 
that the French party submitted with the 
best grace, that is to say, with the most 
perfect good humour, to the novel free- 



Ill 

cloms of the marine Saturnalia: — Nor had 
the Neptune and Amphitrite of the day 
any cause of complaint. They were seated 
in a boat filled with water, the throne a 
match-tub, and the sceptre a painter's 
brush. They were surrounded by their 
Tritons, consisting of fifty or sixty of the 
most athletic men in the ship, naked to the 
waist, and bedaubed with various colours, 
each bearing a pail of salt water, to drench, 
more or less, the subjects of the briny god. 
The license of the pastime may be im- 
agined, when captain Ross, who com- 
manded the ship, received the contents of 
one of them with perfect pleasantry. 

— Bertrand, Montholon, Gourgond, and 
De las Cases, with all the domestics, pre- 
sented themselves to the temporary, but 
potent Neptune, and received, with the 
necessary cheerfulness, their share of his 
ablutions. The two former led their chil- 
dren forward, each of them presenting, 
from their extended little hands, a double 
Napoleon as their offering to the presiding 
deity of the deep. A sea-boy sung the 



112 

song of '^ The snug little island," some of 
whose lines were not very complimentary 
to the enemies of Great Britain, but not 
an unpleasant look was produced by them. 
The ladies viewed the scene from an ele- 
vated position, and appeared to be equal- 
ly amused and astonished at the festivities 
of it. Neptune was rather disappointed 
that Napoleon did not make his appear- 
ance, though he acknowledged the so- 
vereign dignity by sending his tribute.— 
In short, harmony prevailed to the close 
of this festive medley. 

—You, my dear friend, who have af- 
forded a vigilant attention to every part 
of Napoleon^s extraordinary career, and to 
satisfy whose prevailing curiosity con- 
cerning hiTi, I have become a writer of 
biography, such as it may prove; you, I 
say, may remember, though it does not 
occur to me, that a rumour prevailed after 
the treaty of Tilsit, of a projected mar- 
riage between the emperor of Franc e and 
a Russian princess. — This circumstance 



113 

seems to be acknowledged here; and it is 
said, moreover, that the failure of this 
negociation arose from the bigotry of 
the lady's royal mother, who insisted on 
the establishment of a Greek church in 
the palace of the Thuilleries. — I merely 
state it as a little article of our political 
chit-cat, for your political amusement, 

~I recur once more to the person of 
this object of your inquisitive spirit, as it 
leads to circumstances (I know they will 
not be thought trifling by you,) which are 
coimected with this additional description 
of it. He has an uncommon face; large full 
and pale, but not sickly. In conversation, 
the muscles suffer little or no exertion: 
with the exception of those in the imme- 
diate vicinity of the mouth, the whole 
seemed fixed, and the forehead perfectly 
smooth. That of a Frenchman is ge- 
nerally wrinkled, from the habitual, mus- 
cular exertion of the countenance, which 
we denominate grimace: but however ear- 
nest Napoleon may be in conversation, he 
K 2 



114 

discovers no distortion of feature. When 
he wishes to enforce a question, he some- 
times employs his hand, but that alone: 
and were I describing a petit maitre^ I 
might attribute the display to its uncom- 
mon handsomeness. He sometimes smiles, 
but I believe he seldom laughs. — I have 
never observed, when laughter has pre- 
vailed around him, that he has caught the 
pleasant infection. The interesting chil- 
dren on board, who amuse every body, 
do not attract his attention. There is a 
large, good-tempered Newfoundland dog 
who is a frequent and rather a rude play- 
fellow of these urchins; and in a situation 
where no active entertainments are exhi- 
bited, the interludes of these performers 
afford no small degree of amusement to 
those around them. But they have never 
won a smile, that I have observed, from 
the ex-impcrial spectator. — Once, indeed, 
when Bertrand was in conversation with 
his master, the count's little girl, intruded 
upon it, with a story which all her father's 
prohibitions could not silence. On this 



115 

occasion Napoleon took her by the hand, 
heard out her little tale, and at the con- 
clusion kissed her. But this very uncom- 
mon attention was probably paid to the 
child as the only mode of getting rid of 
her, which might not have been painful to 
the feelings of the father. 

You will say, perhaps, when you have 
read a little further, that we are very much 
in want of amusements on board a ship, 
which we certainly know as well as you, 
and that we are pleased with little things; 
however, as you are the father of children, 
I will tell you something which I think 
will amuse you. Frequent attempts are 
made on the loyalty of the little Bertrands, 
by courting them, in very seducing ways, 
to say, Vive le roij and vive Louis dix huit. 
But the two eldest are loyal children, and 
true, and never fail to reply with, vive lem- 
pereur. The youngest of the three was, 
however, at length, bribed by irresistible 
sweetmeats, to say, vive Louis dix huit;^ 
for he, like other cautious politicians, 



116 

could not be persuaded to go all lengths, 
and add, vive le rot. But this daring de- 
fection neve-r failed to be followed by the 
reproaches of his uncurruptible brother 
and sister. This charming boy is said to 
bear a strong resemblance to the young 
Napoleon, and has acquired the title among 
us of John Bull, which he triumphantly 
retains; and if asked who he is, appears 
pleased to exclaim, Jean BoolL 

You have known me long, and have 
been acquainted with my general views 
in life: but who can foresee what he may 
come to? and could you suppose that I 
should ever be a teacher of the English 
language, and to the late grand marshal of 
the palace of the Thuiileries; though I have 
reason to be proud of my scholar for his 
amiable disposition, soldier-like frankness, 
and cultivated mind. He speaks English 
intelligibly, but with a very French accent. 
This he wished to improve, and I under- 
took to read with him. Such has been 
my task for an hour or two every day dur- 



117 

ing the last fortnight. We have gat through 
the Vicar of Wakefield with great success; 
Roderic Random, the never failing novel 
of a seaman, now occupies us. The sea 
terms and the seaman's language are ra- 
ther peq^lexing, as my persevering scholar 
will not suffer a single sentence to pass by 
without the best explanation that I can 
find. The Tour of Doctor Syntax yet re- 
mains, and will probably last us to St. 
Helena. 

As you have desired me to omit no- 
thing, however trifling, that relates to, or 
is authentically related of, our chief passen- 
ger, I shall just mention that count Ber- 
trand, in the history which he gave of the 
German campaign in 1807, took occasion 
to observe that Buonaparte had very seL 
dom employed spies. He appeared, in the 
course of his warfare, to know but one in- 
stance of a person being engaged by his 
master in that capacity, which was in 
Italy; at the same time he acknowledged 
that the services performed by him were of 



118 

considerable importance. In speaking 
also of Napoleon's talents, for which he 
uniformly avows the most profound admi- 
ration, he expressed himself to the follow- 
ing effect: — '' When I was first admitted 
to the emperor's confidence, he employed 
me on a particular service, and no zeal 
was w^anting, on my part, to execute it; 
but I found it, as I thought, to be imprac- 
ticable; and I did not hesitate to submit 
my opinion to him that it was so. It may 
be so to you, he replied, but in what man- 
ner did you proceed? I accordingly ex- 
plained the means I had pursued. You 
have failed, he said, in following your 
plans: now see what success you will have 
in pursuing mine. These he explained — 
I adhered to them of course, and succeed- 
ed. I then determined never again to sup- 
pose that any commands of his could fail 
of being fulfilled; and in any future ope- 
rations which he entrusted to me, the idea 
of impossibility never occurred to my 
thoughts in the performance of my duty, 



119 

or was forced upon mc by my experience 
in the failure of it.'' 

I have observed, that at cards, our ex- 
traordinary man plays rather a negligent 
game, and loses his money with great good 
humour. Nay, he is frequently inaccurate 
in reckoning his points, &c. but as often, 
most assuredly, to his loss as his gain. At 
chess, indeed, which is a scientific game, 
independent of fortune, and considered as 
being connected with a leading branch of 
military tactics, he may not possess, per- 
haps, the same indiiference. However that 
may be, I shrewdly suspect that Montho- 
Ion, when he plays with him, takes care 
to be the loser. I have read, though I 
know not where, that some great com- 
mander, on being beat at chess by one of 
his officers, was so infuriated by the jea- 
lousy of the moment, that he drew forth 
a pistol and despatched his conqueror. I 
wonder whether the aide-de-camp has ever 
heard this story. 



120 

Having crossed the line, the south-west 
winds occasioned our making a sweep off 
the gulf of Guinea, before we were en- 
abled to shape a course for our destined 
port. The declining sun of the 14th of 
October, 1815, shot out a parting ray ere 
it sunk beneath the horizon* Under this 
small illumined space, was obscurely- 
perceived the lofty peak of St. Helena* 
The memorable morning soon dawned 
which was to usher in the commencement 
of Napoleon's exile. This new feature in 
his history will be the subject of my next 
letter. 

&c. &c. &c. 




121 



ST. HELENAj 



MY DEAR 



The sensation excited in the little 
interesting colony of St. Helena, on the ar- 
rival of this extraordinary guest, may be 
more easily imagined than described. 
Curiosity, astonishment, and interest com- 
bined to rouse the inhabitants from their 
habitual tranquillity, into a state of busy 
activity and inquisitive solicitude. 

Napoleon did not leave his cabin for a 
full hour after the ship had anchored in 
the bav: however, when the deck became 
clear, he made his appearance, and ascend- 
ed the poop ladder, from which he could 
examine every gun that bristles at the 
mouth of James Valley, in the centre of 
which the town of that name, and the only 

L 



122 

one in the island, is situate. — While he 
stood there, I watched his countenance 
with the most observant attention, and it 
betrayed no particular sensation: he looked 
as any other man would look at a place 
which he beheld for the first time. — I 
shall also take this opportunity to mention 
that during the whole voyage, from the 
moment the Northumberland set sail from 
England, to its arrival at St. Helena, I 
never saw any change in the placid coun- 
tenance and unassuming manners of our 
distinguished shipmate; nor did I hear of a 
discontented look, or a peevish expression, 
being remarked by any oiher person in the 
ship. The ladies, indeed, discovered some 
distress on the first view of their rocky 
cage; but their general conduct on the oc- 
casion, displayed a degree of self-posses- 
sion which was not expected of them. 

The first object of the admiral was to 
make the necessary arrangements for the 
accommodation of Napoleon and his suite, 
and the lieutenant governor's house was 
appropriated for that purpose, till a proper 



123 

place could be prepared for his fixed resi- 
dence. It was not, therefore, till the 17th 
that they disembarked. — After sun-set, on 
that day, when the inhabitants of the town, 
wearied out in wailing for the spectacle of 
Bounapart's landing, had retired to their 
homes, he according to the wish he had 
expressed, passed unobserved to the house 
where he was to pass the first night as an 
inhabitant of St. Helena. 

' — At an early hour of the following 
morning, the general was on horseback, 
accompanied by sir George Cockburn. 
They ascended the mountain to Longwood 
which was to be the tranquil residence of 
a man, on an isolated rock in Africa, who 
had possessed gorgeous palaces in so many 
of the splendid cities of Europe. 

About a mile from the town, and mid- 
way up the mountain, stands the country, 
house of a most respectable man and a 
merchant of the island, Mr. Balcombe: It 
is named The Briars^ and is situated on a 
level spot, which might almost be imagined 



124 

to have been formed by art in the steep as- 
cent. It occupies about two acres, and is 
bountifully supplied with water, by whose 
irrigating influence a pleasing and con- 
trasted scene of vegetation, enriched by 
fruit trees, has been produced; and seems, 
as it were, suspended between the heights 
above and the depths below. Here Napo- 
leon, on his descent from Longwood, was 
induced to call; and such was the hos- 
pitable importunity of the amiable master 
of the mansion, that he relinquished his 
intention of returning to the valley, and 
thereby avoided the public gaze that was 
waiting his appearance. 

On an elevated mound, about fifty yards 
from the house, is a gothic building, hav- 
ing one room below, and two small apart- 
ments above. This masonette Napoleon 
chose for his residence, till Longwood 
could be completed. There was no choice 
in the arrangement of this confined abode: 
the ground-floor was, of course, occupied 
by him, while De las Cases, with his son, 



125 

who was a page, and the valet in waiting 
were to possess the upper story. 

A few days after he had fixed his resi- 
dencc at the Briars^ I called to pay him a 
complimentary visit, v/hen I found him re- 
clining upon a sofa, apparently incommo- 
ded by the heat. He had been, he said, 
amusing himself with a walk in the garden; 
but that towards noon he found it neces- 
sary to shelter himself from the sun, be- 
neath his little roof. He appeared to be 
in very good spirits, and expressed himself 
With great civility to me, as^ well as in his 
inquiry after the officers of the Northum- 
berland. After some general questions 
respecting the restrictions on visiting him, 
he said, '' I find there is a considerable 
force on the island, full as many as the 
produce of the place is capable of main- 
taining. What could induce your go- 
vernment to send out the fifty-third regi- 
ment? There was, surely, a sufiicient force 
before for my security; but this is the way 
that you English people get rid of your 
l2 



126 

money. ^' To this observation I did not 
hesitate to reply: '* When a measure is 
once resolved upon, you, general, will ac- 
knowledge it to be the best policy to em- 
ploy all the means that may secure its be^ 
ing carried into complete effect. '^ You, 
my friend, may think, that I hazarded his 
displeasure by my answer; but the man- 
ner in which he received it, convinced me 
that he was better pleased with my frank- 
ness, than if I had hammered out a com- 
pliment, in which manufactory you well 
know that I am but an unskilful workman. 
I now took my leave, and strolled down 
with count Bertrand to dinner. 

It was not till some time in November, 
that I paid a second visit to the Briars^ 
whither an invitation to dine with Mr. 
Balcombe had called me. As I reached 
the spot some time before the dinner- hour, 
I proposed to amuse myself in examining 
the cultivated spots, attached to the do- 
main. I accidentally took the path which 
leads to the gardens, and at the gate where 
it terminates there is a narrow goats' pas- 



- 127 

sage, whose sides are lined with prickly 
pear bush. At the angle formed by the 
two paths, I met Napoleon clattering down 
from among the rocks in his heavy mili- 
tary boots. He accosted me with an ap- 
parent mixture of satisfaction and surprise; 
and reproached me in terms of great civi* 
lity for my loag absence. There was a 
rough deal board placed as a seat between 
two stones, on which after having brushed 
away the dust with his hand, he sat him- 
self down, and desired me to take my 
place by him. — Las Cases soon joined us, 
for in scrambling through these rocky 
paths, his master, badly as he walks, had 
got the start of him. On all sides of the 
spot where we were seated, rocks were piled 
on rocks to the height of a thousand feet 
above our heads, while there was an abyss 
of equal depth at our feet. Nature seems 
in a sportive mood to have afforded this 
level space for a semi- aerial dwelling; and 
while I was gazing with some astonish- 
ment on the barren wonders of the scene 
around me- — '* Well,'' said Napoleon^ 



128 

with a smile, " what say you to it? — and 
can you think that your countrymen have 
treated mc kindly?" — I had but one an« 
swer to such a question; and that was, by 
not giving any answer at all. — His con- 
versation then turned upon the state and 
character of the island, of which, he ob- 
served, all the books he read respecting it, 
during the voyage had given a very partial 
representation, unless there were parts of a 
more pleasing aspect than any he had seen 
in his rides to Longxvood^ which compre- 
hended the utmost extent of his observa- 
tion. His conversation was, on this oc- 
casion, as on all others when I have been 
with him — easy, goodhumoured, and fa- 
miliar, without the least taint of his former 
greatness: and whenever the topic would 
admit of it, he never failed to give an air of 
cheerfulness to his remarks. On my 
mentioning the activity of the admiral in 
superintending the repairs at Longwood, 
and that it would probably be ready to 
receive him in the course of a month; — 
he replied, \ our admiral knows, 1 doubt 



129 

not, to a moment, in what time a ship 
may be got ready, but as an architect, I 
think his calculations will fail. — I main- 
tained, however, that whether it was upon 
land or sea, sir George Cockburn was of 
a character that would ensure success in 
whatever he might be called upon to un- 
dertake. — I added, that the officers were 
actually employed in accompanying the 
seamen to Longwood, with the materials 
necessary for its completion. He then 
inquired after those gentlemen whose 
names he endeavoured to recollect; and 
expressed a wish to see them as they pas- 
sed. *' If,'* said he, " they will be con- 
tented to visit me as you now do, in the 
fields; as my present habitation, which 
serves me for breakfast, dinner, and bed- 
room, is not precisely calculated to receive 
company." 

The Briars had derived, and will ever 
retain a certain degree of celebrity, from 
its having been the unexpected residence 
of Napoleon^ and this circumstance will, I 



130 

doubt not, bring to your recollection, the 
various instances where remote and ob- 
scure situations, which never formed the 
smallest speck on a map, have by accidental 
events, become important points in the ge- 
ography of the historian, — Napoleon fre- 
quently makes one of Mr. Balcombe's 
family parties, where he is neither trouble- 
some nor intrusive, but conducts himself 
w^ith the manners of a gentleman, and a live- 
ly demeanor that promotes the general 
vivacity of the domestic circle*. — I have 
not heard of any instance of his discontent 
but on the following occasion. — Since he 
has been at the Briars^ an officer of cap- 
tain's rank is constantly in attendance there, 
and becomes answerable for his person. 
This, I understand, has occasioned remon- 
strances to the admiral, who has not 
thought proper to answer them with any 
relaxation of this duty. 

* I have since seen, in the English newspapers, 
accounts of his playing at cards for sugar-piums, 
being impetuous with a child, and engaging in 
something like monkey tricks; for which there is 
not the kast foundation of any kind. 



131 

Napoleon having complained of the in- 
tnision of visitors, during his stay at the 
Briars it afforded the admiral an opportu- 
nity of executing the orders transmitted 
from England with a degree of delicacy 
which whoever has the pleasure of know- 
ing him, must be satisfied that he would 
prefer. It was accordingly ordered, that 
no one should be permitted to visit Long- 
wood^ withou a passport from the admiral 
or the governor. 

On his removal thither, certain limits 
were assigned him for exercise, around 
which a cordon of centinels were stationed. 
While he continues within the circle he 
experiences no additional vigilance; but 
when he ventures beyond, an officer is on 
duty to attend him. The latter circum- 
stance, which he considers as irksome, 
disposes him to confine himself in a great 
measure to the gi ounds of his mansion. 

The indisposition of general Gourgond 
occasioned my passmg much of m\ time 
at Longwood. The disease^ from its com- 



132 

mencement, had assumed very unfavour-- 
able appearances; and my friend Mr. O' 
Meara, whom I have already introduced 
to you as the ex -imperial surgeon, was 
desirous that we should be together du- 
ring the treatment. 

My first visit, on this occasion, was 
attended with some particulars, which, I 
presume, from your rivetted attention to 
the principal character in the scene, you 
will not think unworthy of being related. 
About six in the evening I reached Huts- 
gate^ a small house on the Longwood road, 
about a mile from the principal residence, 
and the habitation of count Bertrand. It 
consists of two small apartments below, 
and the name number above. But in this 
cottage, health reigns, the children are 
charming, and care seems to be banished 
from it. — A volume might be filled with 
all I know of this family. Most of my spare 
hours during the voyage were dedicated 
to reading English with the marshal; and, 
in return, he gave an history of some of the 
campaigns in which he had served. He 



133 

would often say, *^ You are de bad master; 
you will hear all, and speak to me none.'^ 
Napoleon, when inquiring after me, du- 
ring our passage, would ditstinguish me 
by the title of Bertrand^s friend. Ma- 
dame insisted upon my dismounting from 
my horse and accompanying her in the 
carriage to Longwood, as her husband had 
gone on before. It was now growing 
dusk, and as we approached the house, 
we saw her emperor, as she always call- 
ed him, and Bertrand in conversation close 
to the road-side. ^* Now,'' said the la- 
dy, '* let us surprise them: show yourself 
at the carriage window as we pass; when 
they will fancy a gallant, and it will remind 
them of Paris tricks.'' We passed them 
at a quick pace; I obeyed my instructions^ 
and, having handed the countess from the 
carriage, she left me to go and explain who 
the stranger was. In a few minutes I re- 
ceived a message from Napoleon himself, 
with an invitation to dinner. I very readi- 
ly accepted it, as you may imagine; and 
was rather pleasingly surprised at it; as he 

M 



134 

had for some time confined his guests to 
his own suite. I had no means of presen- 
ting myself, but in my riding equipments, 
and in such guise I made my entre. Ge- 
neral Montholon, in full dress, received 
me in the anti- chamber, and introduced mc 
to an adjoining room, where Buonaparte 
was engaged at chess with the count Ber- 
trand. He received me with the com- 
mon salutations, very civilly expressed, 
and, on my taking a position behind his 
chair, as if to observe the game, he con- 
tinued the contest. There was little con- 
versation among the party in the room; 
and that was carried on in a kind of res- 
pectful whisper, which, as I knew not how 
to adopt, was interrupted at times by the 
thorough-bass of my answers to the ques- 
tions which were addressed to me. 

A very short time before dinner was 
announced, general Montholon whispered 
in my ear, that I was to take my seat at 
table between tlie emperor 'u,\\A iht grand 
marshml. Here are honours for you, aiid 



135 

I will give you leave to figure your plain, 
humble, unassuming friend in his eleva- 
ted station. 1 cannot say that my situa- 
tion resembled that of Sancho Pancha, 
because every dish was at my service; 
but a piece of roast beef or a leg of mut- 
ton, with caper sauce, would have afforded 
a relief to my appetite, which has never 
been familiarised with ragouts and fricas- 
see s, I had Napoleon on my right, and 
the marshal on my left; and there was a 
vacant chair, that had the air of ceremoni- 
ous emptiness, as a reserved seat for Ma- 
ria Louisa. A bottle of claret and a de- 
canter of water was placed by each plate: 
but there was no drinking to each other at 
dinner; and if you did not help yourself 
during the time it lasted, the opportunity 
would be lost, as the wine vanished with 
the eatables. The service of porcelain 
far exceeds in beauty whatever of that 
kind I have beheld. The silver plate is 
massive, and decorated with eagles in cu- 
rious abundance; the gold service appear- 
ed in the desert. The entertainment last- 
ed ibout an hour, and so frequent were 



136 

the questions of my host, that from the 
perplexity I suffered in conjuring up an- 
swers to them, I scarce knew what I eat, 
or what I drank. I will endeavour to give 
you a general specimen of his convivial in- 
quiries. 

Have you visited general Gourgond? — 
Yes, general, I came to Longwood for that 
purpose. How have you found him? 
Extremely ill. What is his disorder? 
Dy sentry. Where is its* seat? In the 
intestines? What has been the cause? 
Heat of climate on a constitution peculiar- 
ly predisposed; but remove the cause and 
the effect will cease. Had he been bled 
in the first instance, it is probable that the 
disease would have been less violent. — 
What remedy is now proposed? The 
functions of the liver and other viscera 
are deranged: To restore them, therefore, 
to a healthy action, it will be necessary to 
have recourse to mercury. That is a bad 
medicine. Experience has taught me the 
contrary. Did Hippocrates use it? I be- 



137 

lieve not. He had great faith in simples. 
Yet, he is considered as among the first 
physicians. He might, nevertheless, have 
derived great advantages from modern dis- 
coveries. Does not nature endeavour to 
expel morbific matter; and may not the 
present painful straggles be an effort of 
nature to rid herself of what is obnoxious? 
I have been taught to assist nature. And 
could not you do so without having re* 
course to this dangerous mineral? Expe- 
rience has convinced me that mercury, 
provided it produces salivation, is infalli- 
ble. Then go on with your mercury. 

Have you lost many men on board the 
Northumberland? We have had the mis- 
fortune to lose several. Of what disease? 
Dysentry and inflammation of the liver. 
Have you examined them after death? In- 
variably. What was the appearance? Ex- 
tensive suppurations of the liver in the 
one disease, and gangrene of the intes- 
tines in the other. What is death, or how 
do you define death? A suspension of the 
M 2 



138 

vital functions, the organs of respiration^ 
and the action of the heart. When does 
the soul quit the body? That is a ques- 
tion I do not presume to answer with a 
precision which would satisfy you: for, in 
cases of suspended aninuuion and in syn- 
cope, man is to all appearance, dead; 
yet, by artificial means, resuscitation is 
,j)roduced and life preserved. When do 
you suppose that the soul enters the body? 
I am not sufficiently skilled in metaphy- 
sics to give a satisfactory reply. The fa- 
culty of thought appears to be the dawn- 
ing of the soul; and to whatever perfec- 
tion reason attains, then the soul is most 
perfect, at least then man becomes the 
most responsible for his actions. Here 
the conversation ended to my great satis- 
faction, as it seemed to be taking a turn 
too profound for my philosophy: you will 
say, perhaps, that part of it was not calcu- 
lated to whet the stomach of any one at 
dinner, but a medical man. I fancy, how- 
ever, that, to your appetite, it will prove a 
savoury dish. 



139 

Napoleon now rose, and was followed 
by his party into a card-room when whist 
succeeded. He appears to be master of 
the game, but plays with a kind of care- 
lessness, and good humour, as if he pre- 
ferred loshig his money. He stayed half 
an hour longer this evening than was usiral 
with him, and during that time he walked 
up and down the room, continuing his pre- 
vailing habit of asking questions. On his 
taking leave, Las Cases, m his good hu- 
moured way, said, '* Well, this has been 
a day of questions: indeed, 1 fear it must 
be a punishment for you to dine with us, 
it is so like undergoing an examination: 
but you may be assured, that your an- 
swers afford satisfaction, or you would not 
be troubled with so many questions.'^ 

In a few days after, the arrival of a ship 
from England induced me to take a ride 
to the valley; and, on my return in the 
evening, I was informed, that Napoleon 
desired to see me in general Gourgond's 
apartment as soon as I returned; and there 



140 

I found him waiting for me. On my en- 
trance, the first question related to the 
progress of the general's disorder: when 
he suddenly changed the subject. " You 
have been at the town; and is the ship just 
arrived from England — if so, I suppose 
she brings letters and newspapers. Cer- 
tainly; and I have looked over a file of the 
Courier. — Is there no Morning Chronicle? 
I have not yet seen it. The other papers 
which I have just had a glimpse of, were 
the Times^ and a provincial paper. — What 
is the news from France? I did but slight- 
ly glance over the French news. Be that 
as it may, you remember, I suppose, some- 
thing of what you read; so let me hear it, 
I saw some articles respecting you; but the 
principal part of the French news which I 
had the opportunity of examining, related 
to the trial and sentence of marshal Ney. 

Napeleon now advanced a step nearer to 
me, but without the least change of counte- 
nance; — ''^ What," said he, " marshal Ney 
has been sentenced to be shot." — I replied 



141 

*^ It was even so: he addressed the minis- 
ters of the allied sovereigns, but in vain: 
he urged in his defence the 12th article of 
the convention: he pleaded on his trial that 
he was deceived by you: that the procla- 
mation of which he was accused, and 
made a part of the charges against him, 
was written by major general Bertrand; 
and that he was deceived by your report 
of Austria and England.'' Count Bertrand, 
who was in the room, quietly observed, 
that marshal Ney had a right to save him- 
self if he could; and if fabricated stories 
w^ould answer his purpose, he could not 
be blamed for employing them. But he 
added, *' respecting the proclamation, it 
was an assertion equally false and ridicu- 
lous: marshal Ney could write himself, 
and wanted not my assistance." Napoleon 
made no comments on the account which 
had been given to him. One solitary ex- 
pression, indeed, broke from him, and that 
was, '^ marshal Ney was a brave man." 

I mentioned a report, as stated in one of 
the London papers, that an apprehension 



142 

was entertained of an insurrection in Paris, 
on the event of marshal Ney's sentence 
being carried into execution. " An in- 
surrection," said Napoleon, with a kind of 
contemptuous calmness, '' pugh! get the 
troops imder arms! Has the duke of Wel- 
lington left Paris? I really do not know. 
Are the English and allied forces still in 
the vicinity of the capital? — The English, 
I believe, are still in its neighbourhood; 
but it appears, from the papers, that the 
Russians and Prussians have retired upon 
the Rhine. That disposition of them, he 
replied, is altogether the most proper. — 
But how is it, he continued, that among the 
papers which are sent for my perusd, I so 
seldom see the Morning Chronicle. That 
was a question, which 1 did not pretend to 
answer. I thought proper, however, to in- 
form him, with some little curiosity to see 
how he would receive the intelligejice, 
?riPiing EK it may appear, that, accordme to 
the papers, a Parisian had been sentenced 
to pay a fine for pubHshing a caricature in 
which he was represented. He permitted 



143 

pie to describe it, which 1 did in the Ian- 
guage of the paragraph: *' On one side of 
the print appeared the figure of Louis 
XVIII, surrounded by his family, with the 
inscription, ' This is well;'* and on the other 
side, that of Napoleon attended by his fa- 
mily, with the motto, * This is better.^ " 
**Pugh!" said he, " what nonsense! but 
such trash will be propagated, from some 
idle motive or other:" and with this ob- 
servation he retired to his apartment. 

General Gourgond's disorder assumed 
a very dangerous appearance; and the 
symptoms seemed to announce a fatal ter- 
mination. His spirits, indeed, were so 
sunk, that he refused to take the only 
medicine that promised the least chance of 
relief; and even though it continued to be 
administered by contrivance, and subter- 
fuge, he must have become the prey of his 
melancholy apprehensions, if that voice 
which he dare not disobey, had not urged 
a sharp, and as it proved, a saving remon- 
strance. *' V\ hat ridiculous behaviour is 



144 

this,'^ said Napoleon to him; *^ and what 
are these silly fears of your own creation, 
and which you appear to be fond of in- 
dulging, by refusing the means of dissi- 
pating them. How often have you faced 
death in the field of battle, without the 
least sensation of fear; and now you are re- 
solved to yield to his power, as if you were 
afraid to resist him. What a childish ob- 
stinacy! Play the fool no longer, I beg of 
you, but submit to the remedies with 
cheerfulness, which can alone promote 
your restoration to health." This reproach 
softened the paiient's obstinacy, he be- 
came submissive to the regimen prescrib- 
ed, and recovered. Some short time after, 
Napoleon said to me, ^' Well, you doctors 
have performed wonders with Gourgond: 
if, however, there had been a priest on the 
island, he would have discharged you both, 
and trusted alone to his treatment: but for- 
tunately for him, such a thing as a confes- 
sor was not to be found." 



145 

I am about to vary the scene, but I 
follow the track of the distinguished exile, 
whenever I have the opportunity; and I 
now call you to attend him among the Ar- 
cadians of St. Helena. When he takes his 
exercise on horseback, he generally bends 
his way through a deep ravine, luxuriantly 
covered with vegetation and used for pas- 
ture. The road is narrow, the place lone- 
ly; and he, in a sentimental or poetical 
moment, had named it " The valley of Si- 
lence.'^^ On ascending this contracted pass, 
the eye is greeted, and on the first occasion 
might probably be surprised, by the resi- 
dence of a farmer. Here the confined tour- 
ist, on his first excursion, determined to 
snatch a probable amusement; by paying 
a visit. Fortunately for him, the family 
were taken by surprise; for the . pprehen- 
sion of such a guest would have emptied 
the house of its inhabitants. Master Legg, 
the tenant of the mansion, a plain honest 
countryman, met him at die door, when 
the extraordinary visitor, on the invitation 
which he received, dismounted from his 

N 



146 

horse, and accompanied by the count de 
las Cases, entered the house, familiarly 
took his seat, and, as usual, began his in- 
terrogatories. 

Have you a wife? Yes, and please you, 
sir emperor. Have you any children? Six. 
How much land have you got? A hun- 
dred acres. All capable of being cultiva- 
ted? No, not one-half. What profit does 
it bring you? Not a great deal; but it is 
much improved since you, Mr. emperor, 
came amongst us. Aye, how do you make 
that out? Why, you must know, sir em- 
peror, we do not grow corn in this here 
island; and our green vegetables require a 
ready market. We have generally had to 
wait for the arrival of a fleet; and then, rat 
^em, they would sometimes all spoil: but 
now, sir general, we have a prime sale for 
every article. Where is your wife? Dang 
it, and please you, I believe she is scared; 
for I see my children have all run out. 
Send for them, and let me be introduced. 
Pray have you any good water? Yes, sir; 



147 

and wine too, such as is to be had from 
the Cape. 

The good woman's alarm had by this 
time subsided; and she was persuaded by 
her husband to make her appearance, and 
entered with every mark of respect, and 
some astonishment. Napoleon, De las 
Cases, the farmer and his wife, forming a 
partie quarree^ for your philosophic and 
profound contemplation, sat down to four 
glasses of Cape wine; and when they were 
emptied, the visit concluded. 

The good man and his family had been 
placed so much at their ease by the cour- 
teous demeanour of their unexpected 
guests, that the subsequent visits laid them 
under no restraint; and even the little chil- 
dren used frequently to express their 
wishes by inquiring of their mother, 
" When will Boney come and see us 
again?" 

But there is another farmer, whose name 
is Robinson, who like his neighbour Legg, 



148 

occupies his acres of garden ground, which 
are divided into enclosures by fences of 
earth enlivened by the aloe and the prickly 
pear. Here, as in the former humble ha- 
bitation, the honest simplicity of rural life 
appears in all its native colours: but there 
is a flow^er of no common beauty that 
adorns the spot; a very pretty girl of about 
seventeen, the daughter of the owiiers of it. 
She is what we should call in Scotland, 
''a very bonny lassie." Whether it was the 
primitive sincerity and innocent manners 
of these honest people, or the native charms 
of the rustic nymph, or the picture of con- 
tentment that they presented to their vi- 
sitor, which attracted him, I shall not pre- 
tend to determine; but his visits became so 
frequent, that the relations of these good 
people in the town, recommended precau- 
tion respecting their daughter, who was 
then forbidden to make her appearance 
whenever the great man favoured the farm 
with his visits: this circumstance he soon 
observed, and accordingly ceased to con- 
tinue them. 



149 

I shall not wait for any additional occur- 
rences, which are uncertain, with a view 
to lengthen my letter. If any further in- 
formation occurs, it may form the subject 
of another epistle. I therefore seize the 
present opportunity of assuring you that 

I am, &c. &c. 

W. W. 



N 2 



150 



ST. HELENA, 



MY DEAR 



I began to think that my last letter 
would have concluded the little history 
which I have compiled from the living 
documents around me, for the amusement 
and gratification of your anxious curiosity. 
If it has answered that purpose, I shall 
be satisfied; and I am happy to continue 
my disjointed narrative, with some unex- 
pected notices that may be equally inte- 
resting, as far as the term can be applied, 
to those which have preceded them. 

It is near six weeks since I have visited 
Longwood, or have had any communica- 
tion with the inhabitants of it. Chance, 
however, conducted me to a party where 
I met De las Cases. After some general 



151 

eonversation on the arrival of the new go- 
vernor, he informed me that his master had 
made frequent inquiries after me; and had 
even expressed his surprise at my absence. 
*' We have not seen you," he added, 
" since your resuscitation of general Gour- 
gond; and I cannot but feel curious to 
know, whether your acting as a stranger, 
arises from any disinclination on your part, 
or a particular prohibition from the admi- 
ral? I replied, '' neither the one nor the 
other: but, at the same time, I thought it 
became me to attend to the general orders, 
and I could not justify myself in request- 
ing a passport to Longwood without hav- 
ing some ostensible reason." " But I wish 
very much," he answered, ** to cpnsult 
you about the health of my son." " That 
reason is sufficient; I will immediately ap- 
ply to the admiral, who is now in the room, 
and have no doubt of his ready acquies- 
cence." I was accordingly engaged to 
breakfast with Napoleon on the following 
morning, at eleven o'clock. The violent 
rains, however, disappointed me; but I 



152 

took the earliest opportunity of fulfilling 
my promise. The breakfast hour was 
passed when I reached Longwood, and its 
master had been invited by the serenity 
of the day, to take an earlier walk in the 
garden than was his general custom. I 
presume that he had observed me as I ap- 
proached the house, while he was screened 
from me by an intervening hedge. As I 
had exceeded the breakfast hour, after 
which he generally retires to the solitude 
of his apartment, I did not expect to see 
him; and to say the truth, unless there had 
been a prospect of obtaining some novelty, 
my dear friend, for your entertainment, I 
should rather have felt a relief in the idea 
that I was not to be exposed to one of his 
rapid examinations. I soon, however, met 
the count De las Cases, who, presuming 
that the great man had retired for the day, 
proposed my accompanying him to his 
apartment, where, he said, after you have 
seen my son, we will take a few peeps 
into our history, which I know will interest 
you, as the work itself will interest the 



153 

whole world, if we have perseverance to 
get through with it. 

I do not recollect whether, in any of my 
former letters I mentioned, from the au- 
thority of this gentleman, who is the ama- 
nuensis of the historian, that Buonaparte 
was seriously and laboriously engaged in 
writing the Annals of his Life. I had al- 
ready been informed by the same person, 
that the campaigns of Egypt and of Italy, 
and what he styles My reign of an hundred 
days^ or some such title, were completed;* 
and that the intermediate periods were in 
a progressive state. I therefore was look- 
ing forward to a very curious morning, 
and hugging myself on the approaching 
view of such manuscripts as were to be 
unfolded to me: but this expectation was 
disappointed by a message from Napoleon 
to attend him in his room. As I knew 
that my visit would not be one of mere 



* This work includes the interval, or some 
portion of it, between the abdication of Fontain- 
bieau and that of Paris, 



154 

ceremony, I prevailed upon my companion 
to accompany me, as his interpretations 
are always given with such aptitude and 
perspicuity, and besides, afford me time 
to arrange my answers. There was some 
little finesse employed in making this ar^ 
rangement, as the forms of the court at 
Longwood are most respectfully observed 
by the attendants on it. 

On entering the room I observed the 
back of a sofa turned towards me; and on 
advancing I saw Napoleon laying at full 
length on it, with his left-arm hanging 
over the upper part. The glare of light 
was excluded by a Venetian blind, and 
before him there was a table covered with 
books. I could distinguish among them 
some fine bound volumes on the French 
Revolution. The heat of the day had oc- 
casioned him to dismantle himself of coat 
and waistcoat. The moment his eye met 
mine, he started up, and exclaimed, in 
English, in a tone of good humoured vi- 
vacity, '* Ah Warden, how do you do?'' 



155 

I bowed in return; when he stretched out 
his hand, saying, ^' I have got a fever." I 
immediately applied my hand to the wrist, 
and observing, both from the regularity of 
the pulsation and the jocular expression of 
his countenance, that he was exercising a 
little of his pleasantry, I expressed my 
wish that his health might always remain 
the same. He then gave me a gentle tap 
on the cheek, with the back of his hand; 
and desired me to go into the middle of 
the room as he had something, to say to 
me. I now congratulated him on the pre- 
servation of his health, and complimented 
him at the same time, on the progress he 
appeared to have made in the Engli:^h 
language. ^' I certainly enjoy," he said, 
'^ a very good state of health, which I at- 
tribute to a rigorous observance of regi- 
men. My appetite is such that I feel as if 
I could eat at any time of the day: but I 
am regular in my meals; and always leave 
off eating with an appetite: besides, I never, 
as you know, drink strong wines. With 
respect to the English language," he con- 



156 

tinued, " I have been very diligent: I now 
read your newspapers with ease; and must 
own, that they afford me no inconsiderable 
amusement. They are, occasionally, in- 
consistent, and sometimes abusive. In one 
paper I am called a liar^ in another a ty- 
rantf in a third a monster^ and, in one of 
them, which I really did not expect, I am 
described as a coward; but it turned out, 
after all, that the writer did not accuse me 
of avoiding danger in the field of battle, or 
flying from an enemy, or fearing to look at 
the menaces of fate and fortune; it did not 
charge me with wanting presence of mind 
in the hurry of battle, and in the suspence 
of conflicting armies. No such thing; I 
wanted courage it seems, because I did 
not coolly take a dose of poison, or throw 
myself into the sea, or blow out my brains. 
The editor, most certainly misunderstands 
me; I have, at least, too much cour- 
age for that. Your papers are influenced 
by party principles: what one praises the 
other will abuse; and so vice versa. They 
who live in the metropolis where they are 



I 



157 

published, can judge of passing events and 
transactions for themselves; but persons 
living at a distance from the capital, and 
particularly foreigners, must be at a loss to 
determine upon the real state of things, 
and the characters of public men, from the 
perusal of your journals.'^ 

Napoleon appearing, as it were, to be 
speaking out, and in a humour to deliver 
opinions, instead of confining himself to 
asking questions, I was determined to 
speak out too; and I had no doubt that 
I should lead him into an interesting con- 
versation, or induce him to wish me a 
good day. 

I accordingly replied, ^' I really think 
that you must possess more patience than 
my countrymen are disposed to allow you, 
if you really wade through all the columns 
that have been filled on your subject. 
You cannot, general, suppose for a mo- 
ment, that the extraordinary events which 
have taken place, and of which you have 
o 



158 

formed such a prominent part, would not 
be considered and observed upon with 
great freedom by a thinking people Hke 
the English, and who have the privilege, 
and may they ever possess it, of speaking 
and writing what they think." I was pro- 
ceeding in full swing and in a very patrio- 
tic way, when he thus interrupted me. 
^* This calling of names, and these scold- 
ing epithets, only serve to amuse me; but 
there are observations in your papers, 
which produce far different sensations. 
You havt:'^ he continued, '' a writer whom 
I greatly admire; I believe he is of your 
country, a Scotchman — Macpherson, the 
author of Ossian. There is also a p>crson 
of the name of Belsham: on what subjects 
has he written?" I replied, '* that I be- 
lieved he had written an account of the 
reign of our excellent sovereign." ^* Yes," 
he said, '' your laws permit you to write 
of kings, of ministers, of measures, and of 
one another." '' Yes," I replied, ** such is 
the privilege of Englishmen; and, posses- 
sing the infirmities of human nature, they 



i 



159 

may sometimes abuse it. Misconception, 
party spirit, and perhaps factious minds, 
may, at times, tend to propagate and sup- 
port erroneous, and even violent opinions; 
but the love of justice and of truth, forms 
the genuine character of an Englishman," 
*< Nevertheless," he observed, *' you ap- 
pear to handle my character rather roughly: 
and more so, since I have been in your 
power." ^^ To that opinion, general," I 
answered, rather quickly, '^ I must beg 
leave to address a direct negative. You 
have not always had the leisure to examine 
English publications which you enjoy at 
present; but I do assure you, that from the 
time of your becoming first consul of 
France, to the moment when you set your 
foot on the deck of the Beilerophon, the 
English press has never ceased to fulmi- 
nate its displeasure against your and this 
without exception, for the parties who dif- 
fered in every thing besides, expressed btft 
one and the same opinion of you. This, I 
presume, you must have known at the 
time, though the vast projects that have 



160 

occupied your mind, may have prevented 
your memory from retaining a detail of our 
literary offences: your official papers, how- 
ever, marked their perfect acquaintance 
with the hostility of our journals, and re- 
turned their paragraphic missiles in every 
direction. You were rather angry with old 
England, when you ordered the Moniteur 
to call us a * Nation of shopkeepers:' A 
great commercial nation we certainly are, 
and may we ever remain so: for it is that 
commerce which has proved a fountain of 
resources, whose failure would have pre- 
vented even the native and irresistible 
bravery of Englishmen from making the 
late immortal additions to our national 
glory. But we are also a most noble- 
minded, magnanimous and generous peo- 
ple; and were never known to insult a con- 
quered enemy; nay, how often has it hap- 
pened that both our sailors and our 
soldiers have risked their lives to save a 
fallen foe. Even whtn you had thrown 
away one of the brightest diadems ia 
Europe, and had accepted a slender seep- 



161 

tre in Elba, you were instantly treated with 
comparative mildness by the more prevail- 
ing public opinions in England. And now 
that you are, as you choose to term it, in 
our power^ a general feeling of a generous 
nature is known to be excited: Yes, sir, 
there are numbers who would have re- 
joiced to hear that you had bit the ground 
on the field of battle, who are now dis- 
posed to wish you every comfort that can 
be safely allowed in your present situation. 
If the Northumberland had overtaken you 
in a French man-of-war, endeavouring to 
make your meditated escape to America, 
every officer, and every sailor and soldier 
would have been bravely engaged in the at- 
tempt to take, burn, sink, or destroy the ship 
that bore you; yet, as you have readily ac- 
knowledged, you were treated by them, du- 
ring the whole of the voyage, with every 
gentle, manly, and polite attention. And, if 
I may venture to speak of myself, I shall beg 
leave to add, that I was bred up in the ha- 
tred of you: nay, that no proofs of holy 
writ were more strongly imprinted in my 
o2 



162 

mind, than the truth of the then universally- 
prevailing opinions concerning you; never- 
theless, I am ready to show you every per- 
sonal courtesy, to be thankful for the ci- 
vilities I have received from you, and to 
offer you such service as I am permitted 
by the benevolence of the government 
which I serve, and may be consistent with 
those regulations which its political wis- 
dom has thought necessary to provide, for 
the safeguard and ultimate security of your 
person." 

I was resolved to speak my sentiments 
with freedom, and you may now think my 
good friend, that I did not balk my resolu- 
tion. I could not, indeed, forbear to defend 
the generous temper of Englismen, when 
it received such an attack. My candid 
sentiments and unreserved language ap- 
peared, however, to meet my auditor's ap. 
probation, and he asked me, to my great 
surprise, if 1 remembered the history of 
captain Wright. I answered, '^ Perfectly 
well; and it is a prevailing opinion in En- 



163 

gland, that you ordered him to be murder- 
ed in the Temple." With the utmost ra- 
pidity of speech he replied, '* For what 
object? Of all men he was the person whom 
I should have most desired to live. Whence 
could I have procured bo valuable an evi- 
dence as he would have proved on the trial 
of the conspirators in and about Paris. 
The heads of it he himself had landed on 
the French coast." My curiosity was at 
this moment such as to be betrayed in my 
looks, '' Listen," continued Napoleon, 
^* and you shall hear. The English brig of 
war, commanded by captain Wright, was 
employed by your government in landing 
traitors and spies on the west coast of 
France. Seventy of the number had actu- 
ally reached Paris; and, so mysterious 
were their proceedings, so veiled in im- 
penetrable concealment, that although ge- 
neral Ryal, of the police, gave me this 
information, the name or place of their re- 
sort could not be discovered. I received 
daily assurances that my life would be at- 
tempted, and though I did not give entire 



164 

credit to them, I took every precaution for 
ray preservation. The brig was afterwards 
taken near L'Orient, with captain Wright, 
its commander, who was carried before the 
prefect of the department of Morbeau, at 
Vannes: general Julian, then prefect, had 
accompanied me in the expedition to 
Egypt, and recognised captain Wright on 
the first view of him. Intelligence of this 
circumstance was instantly transmitted to 
Paris; and instructions were expeditiously 
returned to interrogate the crew, separate- 
ly, and transfer their testimonies to the 
minister of police. The purport of their 
examination was at first very unsatisfacto- 
ry; but, at length, on the examination of 
one of the crew, some light was thrown 
on the subject. He stated that the brig had 
landed several Frenchmen, and among 
them he particularly remembred one, a 
very merry fellow, who was called Pi- 
chegru. Thus a clue was found that led 
to the discovery of a plot, which, had it 
succeeded, would have thrown the French 
Hation, a second time, into a state of revo- 



165 

lution. Captain Wright was accordingly 
conveyed to Paris, and confined in the 
Temple; there to remain till it was found 
convenient to bring the formidable ac- 
cessaries of this treasonable design to tri- 
al. The law of France would have sub- 
jected Wright to the punishment of death: 
but he was of minor consideration. My 
grand object was to secure the principals, 
and I considered the English captain's 
evidence of the utmost consequence to- 
wards completing my object." He again 
and again, most solemnly asserted, that 
captain Wright died in the Temple, by 
his own hand, as described in the Mont- 
teiir^ and at a much earlier period than has 
been generally believed. At the same 
time, he stated, that his assertion was found- 
ed on documents which he had since exa- 
mined. The cause of his inquiry arose 
from the visit, I think, he said, of lord 
Ebringtop. to Elba, and he added, '' That 
nobleman appeared to be perfectly satisfi- 
ed with the account which was given him 
of this mysterious business." 



166 

I was so far encouraged by the easy, 
communicative manner of the ex-einperor, 
that 1 continued my observations without 
reserve: I, therefore, did not hesitate to 
express my doubts respecting the time 
that Capt. Wright remained in the Tem- 
ple previous to his death. To satisfy me 
in this particular, Napoleon turned over a 
long succession of pages in a late publica- 
tion of Mr. Goldsmith's, which had been 
brought him by sir Hudson Lowe. I do 
not recollect the title, which is probably 
familiar to you, who have suffered nothing 
that relates to the government of France 
to have escaped you, but I could perceive, 
that it consisted of extracts from the Mo- 
niteur, &c. during the imperial reign. 
As he referred to the index he frequently 
pointed out the name of IVright^ spelled 
Eighty and with a confident expectation, as 
it certainly appeared to me, of finding 
some document, that would confirm his 
account. The author, however, either had 
not been able to discover any written tes- 
timony, to mark the precise time of cap-. 



16: 



tain Wright-s death, or had intentionally 
withheld it; and the latter Buonaparte re- 
peatedly and firmly insisted must have 
been the cause of any doubt remaining as 
to the truth of his assertion. 

As he turned over the leaves of this vo- 
lume, he acknowledged that many of the 
reports were genuine, but with frequent in- 
accuracies and mistatements; and, if my 
memory is correct, he particularised that 
which was given of the battle of Marengo. 
But he did not stop here; and continually 
desired to know whether I perfectly com- 
prehended his meaning, as that was his 
most earnest wish. And now, to my ut- 
ter astonishment, he entered upon the 
event of the duke ITEnghierCs death. 
This was atopic that could not be expect- 
ed; and particularly by me, as there ap- 
peared even among his followers, who 
\vere always on tip-toe to be his apologists, 
an evasive silence or contradictory state- 
ments, whenever this afflicting event be- 
came the subject of inquiry, which had 



168 

occasionally happened, during the course 
6f our voyage. Here Napoleon, became 
very animated, and ofted raised himself on 
the sofa where he had hitherto remained 
in a reclining posture. The interest at- 
tached to the subject, and the energy of 
his delivery, combined to impress the 
tenor of his narrative so strongly on my 
mind, that you need not doubt the accura- 
cy of this repetition. He began as follows: 

^^ At this eventful period of my life, I 
had succeeded in restoring order and tran- 
quillity to a kingdom torn asunder by fac- 
tion, and deluged in blood. That nation 
had placed me at their head. I came not 
as your Cromwell did, or your third Ri- 
chard. No such thing. I found a crown 
in the kennel; I cleansed it from its filth, 
and placed it on my head. My safety 
now became necessary, to preserve that 
tranquillity so recently restored; and, hi- 
therto, so satisfactorily preserved, as the 
leading characters of the nation well know. 
At the same time, reports were every 



169 

night brought me'^ (I think, he said, by 
general Ryal,) " that conspiracies were in 
agitation; that meetings were held in par- 
ticular houses in Paris, and names even 
were mentioned; at the same time, no sa- 
tisfactory proofs could be obtained and 
the utmost vigilance and ceaseless pursuit 
of the police was evaded. General Mo- 
reau, indeed, became suspected, and I was 
seriously importuned to issue an order for 
his arrest; but his character was such, his 
name stood so high, and the estimation of 
him so great in the public mind, that, as 
it appeared to me, he had nothing to gain, 
and every thing to lose, by becoming a 
conspirator against me: I, therefore, could 
not but exhonerate him from such a 
suspicion. I accordingly refused an order 
for the proposed arrest, by the following 
intimation to the minister of police. ' You 
have named Pichegru, Georges, and Mo- 
reau: convince me that the former is in 
Paris, and I will immediately cause the 
latter to arrested.' Another and a very 
singular circumstance led to the develop, 
p 



170 

ment of the plot. One night, as I lay agi- 
tated and wakeful, I rose from my bed, 
and examined the list of suspected trai- 
tors; and chance, which rules the world, 
occasioned my stumbling, as it were, on 
the name of a surgeon, who had lately re-^ 
turned from an English prison. This 
man's age, education, and experience in 
life, induced me to believe, that his con- 
duct must be attributed to any other mo- 
tive than that of youthful fanaticism in fa- 
vour of a Bourbon; as far as circumstan- 
ces qualified me to judge, money appear- 
ed to be his object. I accordingly gave 
orders for this man to be arrested; when 
a summary mock trial was instituted, by 
which he was found guihy, sentenced to 
die, and informed he had but six hours to 
live. This stratagem had the desired ef- 
fect: he was terrified into confession. It 
was now known that Pichcgru had a bro- 
ther, a monastic priest, then residing in 
Paris. I ordered a party of gens d'armes 
to visit this man, and if he had quitted his 
house, I conceived there would be good 



171 

ground for suspicion. The old monk was 
secured, and, in the act of his arrest, his 
fears betrayed what I most wanted to know. 
* Is it,Vhe exclaimed, * because I afforded 
shelter to a brother that I am thus treated.' 
The object of the plot was to destroy me; 
and the success of it would, of course, 
have been my destruction. It emanated 
from the capital of your country, with the 
count d'Artois at the head of it. To the 
west he sent the duke de Berri, and to 
the east the duke D'Engbein. To France 
your vessels conveyed underlings of the 
plot, and Moreau became a convert to the 
cause. The moment was big with evil: I 
felt myself on a tottering eminence, and, I 
resolved to hurl the thunder back upon the 
Bourbons even in the metropolis of the 
British empire. My minister vehemently 
urged the seisure of the duke though in 
a neutral territory. But I still hesitated, 
and prince Benevento brought the order 
twice, and urged the measure with all his 
powers of persuasion: It was not, howev- 
er, till I was fully convinced of its neces- 



172 

sity, that I sanctioned it by my signature. 
The matter could be easily arranged be- 
tween me and the duke of Baden. Why, 
indeed, should I suffer a man residing on 
the very confines of my kingdom, to com- 
mit a crime which, within the distance of 
a mile, by the ordinarj^ course of law, jus- 
tice herself would condemn to the scaf- 
fold* And now answer me; — Did I do 
more than adopt the principle of your go- 
vernment, when it ordered the capture of 
the Danish fleet, which was thought to 
threaten mischief to your country? It had 
been urged to me again and again, as a 
sound political opinioa, that the new dy- 
nasty could not be secure, while the Bour» 
bons remained. Talleyrand never deviated 
from this principle: it was a fixed, unchange 
able article in his political creed. But I 
did not become a ready or a willing con- 
vert. 1 examined the opinion with care 
and with caution: and the result was a per- 
fect conviction of its necessity. The duke 
D'Enghein was accessary to the confedera- 
cy; and although the resident of a neutral 



173 

territory, the urgency of the case, in 
which my safety and the public tranquilli- 
ty, to use no stronger expression, were in- 
volved, justified the proceeding. I accor- 
dingly ordered him to be seized and tried: 
He was found guilty, and sentenced to 
be shot. The sentence was immediately 
executed; and the same fate would have 
followed had it been Louis the Eighteenth. 
For I again declare that I found it neces- 
sary to roll the thunder back on the metro- 
polis of England, as from thence, with 
the count d'Artois at their head, did the 
assassins assail me. 

*' Your country also accuses me of the 
death of Pichegruy I replied, *' It is 
most certainly and universally believed 
throughout the whole British empire, that 
he was strangled in prison by your orders.'* 
He rapidly answered, " What idle, disin- 
genuous folly! a fine proof, how prejudice 
can destroy the boasted reasoning faculties 
of Englishmen! Why, I ask you, should 
that life be taken away in secret which the 
p2 



174 

laws consigned to the hands of a pubHc 
executioner. The matter would have been 
different with respect to Moreau. Had he 
died in a dungeon, there might have been 
grounds to justify the suspicion that he 
had not been guilty of suicide. He was a 
very popular character, as well as much 
beloved by the army; and I should never 
have lost the odium, however guiltless I 
might have been, if the justice of his death, 
supposing his life to have been forfeited 
by the laws, had not been made apparent 
by the most public execution. '^ 

Here he paused; and I replied, ^' There 
may, perhaps, be persons in England, who 
are disposed to acknowledge the necessity 
of rigorous measures at this important pe- 
ridd of your history; but none, I believe, 
are to be found who would attempt to 
justify the precipitate manner in which the 
young prince was seized, tried, sentenced, 
and shot.'' He instantly answered, *' I was 
justified in my own mind; and I repeat 
the declaration which I have already made, 



175 

that I would have ordered the execution of 
Louis XVIII. At the same time, I solemn- 
ly affirm, that no message or letter from 
the duke reached me after sentence of 
death had been passed upon him." 

Talleyrand, however, was said to be in 
possession of a letter from the royal pri- 
soner addressed to Napoleon, which they 
who are well qualified to know, declared 
he took upon himself not to deliver, till it 
was too late to be of any service to the 
WTiter. I saw a copy of this letter in pos- 
session of count de las Cases, which he 
calmly represented to me as one of the 
mass of documents, formed or collected to 
authenticate and justify certain mysterious 
parts of the history which he was occa- 
sionally employed in writing, under the 
dictation of the hero of it. Do not startle — 
the letter was to beg his life; and to this 
effect. — It stated his opinion that the Bour- 
bon dynasty was terminated. That was 
the settled opinion of his mind, and he was 
about to prove the sincerity of it. He now 



17G 

considered France no otherwise than as his 
country, which he loved with the most 
patriotic ardour, but merely as a private 
citizen. The crown was no longer in his 
view: it was now beyond the possibility of 
recovery: it would not, it could not be re- 
stored. He therefore requested to be al- 
lowed to live and devote his life and ser- 
vices to France, merely as a native of it. 
He was ready to take any command or any 
rank in the French army, to become a 
brave and loyal soldier, subject to the will 
and orders of the government, in whose 
hands soever it might be, to which he was 
ready to swear fealty; and that, if his life 
were spared, he would devote it with the 
utmost courage and fidelity to support 
France against all its enemies. Such was 
the letter which as it was represented to 
me, Talleyrand took care not to deliver 
till the hand that wrote it was unnerved 
by death. 

Napoleon continued to speak of the 
Bourbon {^mWy—'' Had I," he said, ''been 



177 

anxious to get any, or all the Bourbons in- 
to my possession, I could have accom- 
plished the object. Your smugglers offer- 
ed me a Bourbon for a stated sum (I think 
he named 40,000 francs) but, on coming 
to a more precise explanation, they enter- 
tained a doubt of fulfilling the engage- 
ment as it was originally proposed. They 
would not undertake to possess them- 
selves of any of the Bourbon family abso- 
lutely alive: though, with the alternative, 
alive or dead, they had no doubt of com- 
pleting it. But it was not my wish merely 
to deprive them of life. Besides, circum- 
stances had taken a turn which then fixed 
mc without fear of change or chance on 
the throne I possessed. I felt my se- 
curity, and left the Bourbons undisturbed. 
Wanton, useless murder, whatever has 
been said and thought of me in England, 
has never been my practice: to what end 
or purpose could I have indulged the hor- 
rible propensity. When sir George Rum- 
bold and Mr. Drake, who had been carry- 
ing on a correspondence with conspirators 



178 

in Paris, were seized, they were not mur- 
dered.^" 

Here he ceased to speak; and as I was 
determined to gratify my curiosity as far 
as his present communicative spirit would 
allow, I was determined to continue the 
conversation. I accordingly observed, 
^^ that of all the undertakings which com* 
posed his wonderful career, no circum- 
stance had excited such astonishment in 
England, as his expedition to Russia, be- 
fore he had brought the peninsular war to 
a termination, which at that time appeared 
to be an attainable object." I paused, ex- 
pecting a reply on the subject; however, 
he gave none; but, as if he had not heard 
my observation, proceeded to a renewal 
in some degree, of the former topics. 

< * In looking over these letters, for the press, I 
felt a doubt whether this observation respecting 
sir George Rumbold was made at this time, or at 
some other; or whether it proceeded from Buona- 
parte or count de las Cases: but I am positive that 
it was made by one or the other. 



179 

" Your country,'' he said, ^* has accused 
me of having murdered the sick and 
wounded of my army at Jaffa. Be assured 
that if I had committed such a horrid act, 
my very soldiers themselves would have 
execrated me; and I might have looked to 
their ceasing to obey me. There is no oc- 
currence of my life to which I gave more 
publicity than this. You have an officer, a 
sir Robert Wilson, who has written very 
copiously on the subject of my campaign 
in Egypt." As he repeated the last sen- 
tence, he assumed an air and tone of sarcas- 
tic jocularity; and then asked me, if I had 
read sir Robert's publication. I replied in 
the affirmative: '' It is possible," he said, 
" that he wrote from the testimony of other 
people equally prone to error as himself: 
he cannot pretend to have done it from his 
own observation. Can vou tell me." con- 
tinned Napoleon, '* whether sir Sydney 
Smith, in any official communications to 
your government, attempted, in any way, 
to corroborate the testimony of sir Robert 
Wilson." I could not, at the moment, suf- 



180 

ficiently recollect the purport of his des- 
patches, to determine the point, but I re- 
plied, as I felt, *' That he had not." This 
reply however, indecisive as it was, ap- 
peared to afford him considerable satis- 
faction, as he instantly repeated — *' I be- 
lieve so: for sir Sydney Smith is a brave 
and just man." I here observed that 
" There are many in England who ima- 
gine your jealousy and hatred of sir Syd- 
ney Smith influenced your conduct to- 
wards captain Wright." He smiled with 
astonishment at such an idea — the thought 
of coupling the two names appeared never 
to have entered his imagination. " Ridicu- 
lous! nonsense!" was his reply. He then 
entered on the following narrative. 

^' On raising the siege of St. Jean de 
Acre, the army retired upon Jaffa. It had 
become a matter of urgent necessity. The 
occupation of this town for any length of 
time was totally impracticable, from the 
force that Jezza Pacha was enabled to 
bring forward. The sick and wounded 



were numerous; and their removal was my 
first consideration. Carriages, the most 
convenient that could be formed, were ap- 
propriated to the purpose. Some of them 
were sent by water to Damietta, and the 
rest were accommodated, in the best pos- 
sible manner, to accompany their com- 
rades in their march through the desert. 
Seven men, however, occupied a quaran- 
tine hospital, who were infected with the 
plague; whose report was made me by the 
chief of the medical staff; (I think it was 
Degenette). He further added, that the 
disease had gained such a stage of ma- 
lignancy, there was not the least proba- 
bility of their continuing alive beyond 
forty. eight hours." I here exclaimed in a 
dubious tone, the word — seven? and im- 
mediately asked whether I was to under- 
stand that there were no more than seven 
— " I perceive," he replied, '* that you 
have heard a different account." " Most 
assuredly, general: sir Robert Wilson 
states fifty. seven or seventy -seven; and 
speaking more collectively — your whole 



182 

sick and wounded." He then proceeded 
— '' The turks were numerous and power- 
** ful, and their cruelty proverbial through- 
" out the army. Their practice of muti- 
^^ lating and barbarously treating their 
'^ christian prisoners, in particular, was 
*^ well known among my troops, and had 
" a preservative influence on my mind and 
" conduct; and I doafiirm, that there were 
" only seven men whom circumstances 
^' compelled me to leave as short-lived 
** sufferers at Jaffa, They were in that 
** stage of the disease which rendered their 
" removal utterly impracticable, exclusive 
" of the dissemination of the disease among 
" the healthy troops. Situated as I was, 
** I could not place them under the protec- 
" tion of the English; I, therefore, desired 
^* to see the senior medical ofliicer, and ob- 
^^ serving to him, that the afflictions of their 
" disease would be cruelly aggravated by 
" the conduct of the Turks towards them: 
" and that it was impossible to continue in 
" possession of the town, I desired him to 
" ^ive me his best advice on the occasion. 



183 

" I said, tell me what is to be done? He 
*^ hesitated for some time, and then repeat- 
*' ed, that these men, who were the objects 
'' of my very painful solicitude, could not 
'' survive forty-eight hours. I according- 
" ly suggested, (what appeared to be his 
*' opinion, though he might not choose to 
^* declare it, but wait with the trembling 
'' hope to receive it from me;) the propri- 
*' cry, because I felt it would be humanity 
'^ to shorten the sufferings of these seven 
'^ men by administering opium. Such a 
" relief, I added, in a similar occasion, I 
" should anxiously solicit for myself. But, 
" rather contrary to my expectation, the 
''' proposition was opposed, and conse- 
'^ quently abandoned. I therefore halted 
" the army one day longer than I intend- 
** ed; and, on my quitting Jaffa, left a strong 
'^ rear guard, who continued in that city 
'' till the third day. At the expiration of 
'' that period, an officer's report reached 
'^ me, that the men were dead." — " Then, 
general," I could not resist exclaiming, 
'* no opium was given," The emphatic 



184 

answer I received was — ** No: none! — A 
'^ report was brought me that the men died 
^^ before the rear-guard had evacuated the 
'' city." 

I again interrupted him by mentioning 
that sir Sydney Smith, when he after- 
wards entered Jaffa, found one or two 
Frenchmen alive. '' Well," he answered, 
^* that, after all, may be possible 1" It was, 
I think, at this period of the conversation, 
that he stated his being in possession of a 
letter from sir Sydney Smith, written in 
very complimentary language, which ex- 
pressed the writer's astonishment, as well 
as praise, on the accommodations which 
were contrived and executed to transport 
the French sick and wounded from Acre 
to Jaffa, and thence across the desert. 

I here took occasion to observe, " that 
a late English traveller, a distinguished 
scholar and learned professor of the uni- 
versity of Cambridge, had excited a very 
general doubt respecting the accuracy of 



185 

this particular part of sir Robert Wilson's 
narrative. Dr. Clark, the person to whom 
I alluded, had," I said, " travelled through 
Turkey, and, as I believed, by the route 
of Aleppo and Damascus to Jerusalem, 
and from thence to Jaffa, where he remain- 
ed some time. This gentleman, whose 
character stands high in the world, may 
be said to contradict the testimony of his 
countryman, sir Robert, respecting the 
charge which the former may be said to 
have brought forward against you. Though 
he merely states that he never heard of 
the cruel transaction; but very naturally 
observes, that if such an extraordinary 
event had occurred as the murder of such 
a number of Frenchmen by their own ge- 
neral, some traces or recollection of so 
horrid an event, and of such recent occur- 
rence, must have transpired and been com- 
municated to him during his residence 
there." A question instantaneously fol- 
lowed: '' Has this traveller said any rhing 
of El Arish?" My memory did not serve 
me sufficiently to give an answer.— 
9.2 



186 

^^ Well," he continued, ^^you shall also 
hear the particulars of El Arish and the 
garrison of Jaffa. You have read, without 
doubt, of my having ordered the Turks 
to be shot at Jaffa." '^ Yes, indeed," I 
replied, '' I have often heard of that massa- 
cre in England: it was a general topic at 
the time, and treated as a British mind 
never fails to consider subjects of that de- 
scription." He then proceeded — '^ At the 
period in question, general Desaix was 
left in Upper Egypt, and Kleber in the 
vicinity of Damietta. I left Cairo, and 
traversed the Arabian desert, in order to 
unite my force with that of the latter at 
El Arish. The town was attacked, and a 
capitulation succeeded. Many of the pri- 
soners were found, on examination, to be 
natives of the mountains, and inhabitants 
of Mount Tabor, but chiefly fi:om Naza- 
reth. They were immediately released, 
on their engaging to return quietly to their 
homes, children, and wives: at the same 
time they were recommended to acquaint 
their countrymen, the Napolese, that the 



187 

French were no longer their enemies, un- 
less they were found in arms, assisting the 
pacha. When this ceremony was cone ud- 
ed, the army proceeded on its march to- 
wards Jaffa. Gaza surrendered on the 
route. That city, on the first view of it, 
bore a formidable appearance, and the gar- 
rison was considerable. It v/as summoned 
to surrender: when the officer, who bore 
my flag of truce, no sooner passed the 
city wall, than his head was inhumanly 
struck off, instantly fixed upon a pole, and 
insultingly exposed to the view of the 
French army. At the sight of this horrid 
and unexpected object, the indignation of 
the soldiers knew no bounds: thty were 
perfectly infuriated; and, with the most 
eager impatience, demanded to be led on 
to the storm. I did not hesitate, under 
such circumstances, to command it. The 
attack was dreadful, and the carnage ex- 
ceeded any action I had then witnessed. 
We carried the place, and it required all 
my efforts and influence to restrain the 
fury of the enraged soldiers. At length, 



188 

I succeeded, and night closed the sangui- 
nary scene. At the dawn of the following 
morning, a report was brought me, that 
five hundred men, chiefly Napolese, who 
had lately formed a part of the garrison of 
El Arish, and to whom I had a few days 
before given liberty, on condition that they 
should return to their homes, were actu- 
ally found and recognised amongst the 
prisoners. On this fact being indubitably 
ascertained, I ordered the five hundred 
men to be drawn out and instantly shot." 
—In the course of our conversation, his 
anxiety appeared to be extreme, that I 
should be satisfied of the truth of every 
part of his narrative, and he continually in- 
terrupted it, by asking me if I perfectly 
comprehended him. He was, however, 
patience itself, when I made any ob- 
servations expressive of doubts I had 
previously entertained respecting any part 
of the subjects agitated between us, or any 
unfavourable opinion entertained or pro- 
pagated in England. Whenever I appear- 
ed embarrassed for an answer, he gave me 



189 

time to reflect! and I could not but lament 
that I had not made myself better acquain- 
ted with the events of the period under 
consideration, as it might have drawn him 
into a more enlarged history of them. 

He now returned to the subject of sir 
Robert Wilson, and asked me if I knew 
any thing of his military character, and the 
tendency of his writings; and if the latter 
had added to his fortune. I replied, that 
I could not speak upon either, from my 
own knowledge; but I was induced to 
suppose from the services in which he 
had been engaged, he mtist have stood 
high in the opinion of those who employ- 
ed him; and I had also understood that his 
works were considered as having been 
very honourable to him both as a writer 
and a soldier. ^^ Pray can you tell me," 
he continued, '' from what motive this 
officer has acted in the escape of La Val- 
ette, the decided and avowed friend of the 
man whom he has so wantonly calumnia- 
ted?" I was here, as it may be supposed, 
rather embarrassed for an immediate re^ 



190 

ply, but he gave me full time to collect 
myself; and I answered, *' That I had no 
doubt they were such as did honour to his 
heart; whatever imputation may have been 
passed upon his judgment and his discre- 
tion. Somewhat of an adventurous and ro- 
mantic spirit might have governed him: 
but it never was imagined by any one, 
that he was influenced by sordid or pecu- 
niary motives: that idea never seems to 
have occurred, when the transaction was 
the subject of universal consideration and 
inquiry. There was not, I thought, a 
person in England who received him or 
his companions, with a diminution of their 
regard for the part they had taken in this 
mysterious business." In an instant he 
observed, ^* I believe every word you 
have .said, at the same time you may be 
assured, that money would not have been 
wanting to save La Valette. I desire you 
also to give your particular attention to 
my opinion, which is a decided one. That 
this act of sir Robert Wilson, fortl.e pre. 
servation of La Valette, is the commence- 



191 

ment of his recantation of what he has 
written against me.^" It is a coincidence, 
perhaps, not worth mentioning, but is a 
shigular circumstance, that we had a son 
of sir Robert Wilson, at this time a mid- 
shipman on board the Northumberland, 

My curiosity now grew bold, and I was 
determined to try whether I could induce 
Napoleon to satisfy me as to the particulars 
of a conversation . between him and Mr. 
Fox, relative to the infernal machine, 
which I had heard related by the honoura- 
ble Mr. Bennet, who took passage with lord 
W. Stewart, in the Lavinia, from Lisbon 
to England, in the year 1807. 

* La Valette, I believe, was a great fovourite 
of his late emperor; and I well know, that every- 
one of the suite expressed the'greatest joy at his 
escape. I remember hearing general Bertrand 
say, that during the whole time La Valette was in 
the post-office, not a single instance of unnecessary 
rigour was known to have taken place; nor was 
the peace of a private f&mily ever disturbed in the 
slightest degree. 



192 

I prefaced my inquiry by observing, 
that an account had been published, and 
was veiy generally believed in England, 
stating a conversation between him and 
Mr. Charles Fox, at St. Cloud, that to 
myself was very interesting; and as I heard 
it related by a gentleman of rank, talent, 
and character, I had entertained no doubt 
of the general fact as he related it. Napo- 
leon, in a most good-humoured way, said, 
^^ Repeat it — I shall remember." — I then 
proceeded. 

1* 

" The account, general, is as follows: 
As you were one evening going to the 
theatre, you encountered great danger of 
your life, by the explosion of a machine, 
to which the title of infernal was after- 
wards applied. This engine of destruction 
was said to have been placed in a norrow 
street through which you were to pass. 
The rashness of you coachman, it is said, 
saved your life: for finding a vehicle pla- 
ced in such a manner as would have pre- 
sented an insurmountable difficulty to a 
less timid driver, he gave speed lo his 
horses, and the wheel of your carriage 



193 

coming in contact with the machine, overset 
it with great violence, and immediately after 
you had passed, the explosion took place." 
" That," he replied, *' is true : your informa- 
tion is correct.'* "And it is also said, that 
you went to the theatre, and enjoyed the 
play as if nothing had happened.'' He now 
nodded, or rather made a slight obeisance. 
" And it is also asserted, that in a conver- 
sation you had with Mr. Fox, at St. Cloud, 
on the subject, you accused the English of 
having invented the machine for your de- 
struction." — "That is the fact," he said, 
" I certainly did." "And that you parti- 
cularly alluded to Mr. Windham.'' " Yes, 
Mr. Vandam.^^ — "It is also said, general, 
that Mr. Fox contended it was not of 
English invention, for that the crime of as- 
sassination was repugnant to the national 
character. He also particularly defended 
Mr. Windham, who, he said, though he 
had differed in politics, he knew to be an 
honourable man, and incapable, as a British 
minister, of sanctioning such a dishonoura- 
ble transaction." Napoleon remembered 

R 



194 

the conversation, and acknowledged that he 
accused Mr. Windham. I now ventured 
to ask him if he continued of the same 
opinion. " Yes," he said, ^' the English 
ministry were instrumental to the plot. 
Their money has gone for that and other 
extraordinary purposes." My English 
blood was a little up on the occasion ; and 
my reply, depend upon it, was to the follow- 
ing effect. — ^^My nation detests an assassin 
more than it does a coward : indeed he is 
the worst of cowards ; and I do not believe, 
tliat there is a British heart which does not re- 
volt at the thought, and subscribe with an 
honest and glowing sincerity to the opinion 
of Mr. Fox." — He gave me no answer, 
but I could perceive that he was not con- 
vinced : and he still retains his original be- 
lief in the contrivance of the infernal ma- 
chine. 

I now discontinued the subject, and ap- 
proached the chimney-piece to examine a 
small bust in marble, which appeared to me 
to be exquisitely sculptured. When ^ he 



195 j 

saw my attention to it, he exclaimed, ^' that 
** is my son." Indeed the resemblance to 
the father is so very striking that it is discer- 
nible at the first glance. On one side is a mini- 
ature also of young Napoleon, and a highly- 
finished portrait of his mother, Maria Louisa, 
on the other. 

He now complained of a pain in the great- 
toe of his right foot ; described the sensa- 
sation he felt, and asked if it betokened the 
gout. — I requested to know if he could trace 
the disease of gout to any hereditary trans- 
mission. ^' No," he replied, neither of his 
parents ever had the gout ; but, recollecting 
himself, he added, "that his uncle, cardinal 
Fesch, had been very much afflicted by it." 

I remarked, that even when the disease 
was known to be hereditary in families, at- 
tention in early years, to exercise and diet, 
often retarded its approach, and, when it 
came at length, would render the disease 
more mild. 

I observed to him, that, considering the 



196 

active life he led, it did not appear that he 

took sufficient exercise to preserve himself 

n a right state of health. He replied, " my 

* rides, indeed, are too confined ; but the 

* being accompanied by an officer is so very 
' disagreeable to me, that I must be con- 
^ tent to suffer the consequences of abridg- 
' ing them. However, I feel no inconve- 
^ nience from the want of exercise. Man 
' can accustom himself to privations. — At 
' one period of my Hfe I was many hours 
' on horseback every day, for six years ; and 
' I was once eighteen months without pass- 

* ing from the house." 

He now returned to the grievance of be- 
ing watched by an officer. **You are ac- 
" quainted," he said, '' with the island of St. 
'' Helena, and must be sensible that a sen- 
'' tinel, placed on either of these hills, can 
'' command the sight of me from the mo- 
'^ ment I quit thijs house, till I return to it. 
^' If an officer or soldier placed on that height 
'^ will not satisfy your governor, why not 
'* place ten, tw^enty, a troop of dragoons. 



197 

" Let them never lose sight of me, on ly keep 
" an officer from my side. '^ 

BeUeve me, my good friend, I do not 
grudge the pains this letter has cost me, that 
I might be clear in my recollections and ac- 
curate in my report. — I know the pleasure 
it will afford you, and that reflection repays 
me. Future circumstances can alone deter- 
mine, whether you will receive another St. 
Helena letter from, 

&c. &c. &c. 

W. W. 



R 2 



198 



St. Helena, 



MY DEAR 

The arrival of a fleet at the island from 
India, and which will afford the means of 
conveying my last letter, has already en- 
abled me to begin another. This circum- 
stance crowded the little tovni with passen- 
gers, who were all, as usual, eager to see 
Buonaparte. The countess of Loudon dis- 
embarked from this fleet; and, during her 
stay at St. Helena, was accommodated at 
Plantation-House, the residence of the go- 
vernor. In compliment to this lady a dinner 
of ceremony was given on the following day, 
by sir Hudson Lowe ; and an invitation was 
dispatched through general Bertrand to ge- 
neral Buonaparte, so arranged in point of 
politeness and etiquette, as to justify an ex- 
pectation that it would be accepted. This, 
however, happened to be the first invitation 
which he had received ; and some remarks 
passed, that it had rather the appearance of a 
wish to gratify the countess, than an act of 



199 

particular civility to the person to whom it 
was addressed. I know that it was received 
in this light at Longwood. Count Ber- 
trand delivered the governor's card, which 
was read and returned without a word of 
observation. " Sire," said marshal Ber- 
trand, " what answer is it your majesty's 
pleasure that I should return ?" " Say, the 
emperor gave no answer." 

I passed a considerable part of the after- 
noon of that day in Napoleon's apartment : 
and, as usual, was employed in answering, 
to the best of my information, such as it is, 
the various questions, which he thought pro- 
per to ask me. His enquiries were particu- 
larly directed to the nature, circumstances, 
and state of the fleet which had just arrived : 
Our trade to India, and the numerous Eng- 
ligh which appeared to be constantly passing 
to and fro, between India and Europe. In 
the course of this conversation I happened 
to mention the hope entertained by the 
strangers in the town of being gratified by 
the sight of him as he passed to the Planta- 



200 

tion- House, to dine with the governor. This 
little piece of information proved to be fort 
mal a propos, as it produced the only symp- 
tom of petulance I had witnessed in my va- 
rious communications with the ex-emperor; 
and it was displayed in tone, look, and ges- 
ture, in his very brief but hasty reply. — 
^' What, go to dinner, perhaps, with a file 
of soldiers to guard me !'' — In a few mi- 
nutes, however, he resumed his usual cool 
manner, and continued the subject.-^" Af- 
ter all," he said, " they could not, I think, 
expect me to accept the invitation. The 
distance is considerable, and the hour unsea- 
sonable; and I have almost relinquished the 
idea of exceeding my chain, accompanied as 
I must be by an officer." 

The countess of Loudon left the island 
without seeing the ex-emperor, and is said 
to have acknowleged her disappointment on 
the occasion ; and if I may venture an opi- 
nion, but remember it is altogether my own, 
I think the regret is mutual. 



201 

He asked me some days after, if I had 
seen the countess. I answered in the affir- 
mative; and added, that she had honoured 
the Northumberland with a visit, and, as it 
was usual with all visitors to the ship, she 
was shewn the cabin which he had occupied 
during the passage, I thought also, it would 
amuse him to be informed that curious 
strangers generally chose to indulge their 
fancy by sitting down in his chair. '' And 
did the countess," he said, '' do the chair 
that honour?" Unfortunately I could not 
speak with certainty on that item of his in- 
quiry ; not having been in the cabin at the 
time. He seemed, however, to enjoy the 
whim of sitting in his chair; and continued 
his questions. " Would it, do you suppose, 
*' have appeared indecorous to the people of 
" England, if the countess pf Loudon had 
'* visited Longwood ! Could it have been 
"thought incorrect in any degree, if the 
" lady, in company with madame Bertrand, 
" had paid me a visit in this garden ? Many 
" ladies, on their return to England, have 
" been introduced to me in that manner. 



202 

" Had the countess of Loudon expressed 
" herself fatigued by the voyage, or had been 
'^ indisposed from any other cause, I should 
"have been pleased to wait on her." — I 
could only say, in return, '* that I was a 
" countryman of her ladyship, and if, by 
" any chance, I should have the honour 
*^ of possessing the opportunity, I would 
" certainly intrude myself so far upon her 
** attention, as to inform her of your polite 
"disposition towards her." 

He now dashed at once on a subject so 
totally different from any thing you can ex- 
pect, that I would give your sagacity its full 
play for the rest of your life, nor fear your 
stumbling upon it. It was, as usual, in the 
form of a question, and your impatience 
will, in a moment, be satisfied. 

" Have you," he exclaimed, " any know- 
" ledge of physiognomy ?" — " Not from 
"study." — "Have you read Lavater?" — 
" I have read some extracts from his works, 
"and that is all I know of them." — " Can 



203 

*^ you judge whether a man possesses talents 
^^ from observing the features of his face ?" — 
" All I can say, general, is this : that I know 
" when a face is pleasing or displeasing to 
^' me.'' — " Ah," he replied in an instant, 
" there it is — ^you have found it out. Have 
" you observed sir Hudson Lowe's face ?" 
• — ** Yes, I have." — " And what does it 
*^ promise ?" — '' If I am to speak the truth, 
" I like lady Lowe's much better," — ^He 
now laughed, and I was thinking how to 
get rid of the subject, which had a tendency 
to be an awkward one, as it might be ad- 
dressed to me. He, however, gave me no 
time, and proceeded to draw comparisons 
between his late and his present guardian ; 
but in a vein of pleasantry, as it appeared, 
and with such a rapid succession of ideas, 
that I did not, by any means, comprehend 
his expressions, or the objects of them. 

I happened to be at Longwood, when 
Mr. Raffles, the late governor of Java, and 
his suite, obtained permission to visit the 
grounds at Longwood. The anxiety of that 



S04 

gentleman to see Buonaparte was extreme : 
his curiosity was a perfect rage, and the ut- 
most was done to accomplish its gratifica- 
tion. In short, though indisposition might 
have been pleaded, an hour was appointed 
by the ex-emperor to receive the ex-gover- 
ndr ; and the latter had not words to express 
his delight at the manner in which he had 
been received. 

In a short time after Mr. Raffles had taken 
leave, I received a message from Napoleon 
to join him in the garden. On my arrival 
there I found him surrounded by his whole 
suite, mesdames and messieurs, with the 
carriage drawn up, saddle-horses by it, and 
all ready for immediate departure. My ap- 
pearance, however, disarranged their inten- 
tion : For, instead of stepping into the car- 
riage, the principal person of the scene turn- 
ed round, as if to address me. I bowed, 
removed my hat from my head, and instantly 
replaced it : while the marshals, counts, and 
general, stood with their hats under their 
arms. That circumstance did not altoge- 



205 

ther disturb me ; though my gallantry was 
somewhat embarrassed on account of the 
ladies, whose petticoats were blowing about 
them from a smart, and rather unmannerly 

breeze. " Do you know,^' he said, ^' this 

governor of Java?" — '^ I know no more of 
him than from the introduction of to-day," 
— " Do you know any thing of that island ?" 
— " What I know of it is merely from the 
information of others." — " The Dutch have 
represented it as a pestilential climate ; but 
I believe that a more favourable opinion is 
now entertained of it." — " I believe so : at 
least we have not found it so bad as, from 
previous accounts, we had reason to ex- 
pect." — ** Have you ever seen a case of the 
plague ?" — '' Never." — " Do you know 
the disease ?"— '^ My only knowlege of it 
proceeds from what I have read." — " Thfe 
army of Egypt suffered much by it ; and I 
had some difficulty in supporting the spirits 
of many of those who remained free from 
it. Yet for two years I contrived to keep 
my soldiers ignorant of what I myself knew. 
The disease can only be communicated 
s 



206 

through the organs of respiration.'' — I re- 
plied, '^ that I had understood actual contact 
would convey it." — ^^No:" he said, "I 
visited the hospital constantly, and touch- 
ed the bodies of the sick to give confidence 
to their attendants ; being convinced by ob- 
servation, that the disease could only be 
comnmunicated by the lungs. At the same 
time I always took the precaution of visiting 
after a meal and a few glasses of wine ; 
placing myself on the side of the infected 
person from which the wind blew." — We 
must have been at least twenty minutes in 
conversation, with the suite in all the for- 
mality of attendance, when I thought it 
proper to make some show of retiring ; but 
he would not take the hint, for a considera- 
ble time. At length he made a slight 
bow, and led madame Bertrand to the car- 
riage : he followed ; and I stood to see 
them drive off: observing, however, that 
there was a vacant seat in the carriage, he 
hailed me to come and take a ride with 
them : I, of course, accepted the invitation ; 
and I declare, if it had been a party in a 



207 

jaunting car to a country-fair in Ireland, 
there would not have been more mirth, 
ease, and affability. 

The carriage drove oft' at a pretty round 
pace, and the pleasantry of Napoleon 
seemed to keep pace with it. He began to 
talk English ; and having thrown his arm 
half round Madame Bertrand's neck, he 
exclaimed, addressing himself to me, 
*' This is my mistress ! O not mistress- 
yes, yes, this is my mistress!" while the 
lady was endeavouring to extricate herself, 
and the count her husband bursting with 
laughten He then asked if he had made 
a mistake, and being informed of the Eng- 
lish interpretation of the word, he cried out 
" O, no, no — I say, my friend, my love; 
No, not love; my friend, my friend." The 
fact was, that madame Bertrand had been 
indisposed for several days, and he wished 
to rally her spirits, as well as to give an un- 
reserved ease to the conversation. In short, 
to use a well-known English phrase — He 
was the life of the party. 



208 

The circuitous windings of the ride at 
Longwood may extend to five or six miles ; 
and in our progress, with a half comic, 
half serious countenance, he asked this very 
unexpected question : — *' In the course of 
your practice, and on your conscience, how 
many patients have you killed?" — It is not 
unlikely that I looked a little surprised; but I 
calmly answered, " My conscience does not 
accuse me of having caused the death of 
any one.'' He laughed, and continued, " I 
imagine that physicians may mistake dis- 
eases : that they may sometimes do too 
much, at other times too little. After you 
have treated a case that has terminated fa- 
tally, have you not reflected with yourself, 
and said — well, if I had not bled, or vice 
versa, if I had bled this man, he would 
have recovered, or if he had not consulted 
a physician at all, he might have been now 
alive/' 1 made no reply, and he con- 
tinued his questions. 

*^ Which do you think are the best sur- 
geons, the French or the English ?" — ^^ The 



209 

English, undoubtedly/'—" But wherefore?'* 
— '' Because our schools are better. There 
is more system in our education ; and the 
examination is such as to establish the fit- 
ness of any candidate for the profession 
before he is regularly admitted into it.*' 
— " But in point of practice will you not 
allow that the French surgeons have the 
advantage of you ?'^— "In practice, gene- 
ral, the French are empirics, though they 
do not vend nostrums like our quacks 
in England- They are, in fact, more 
guided by experience than theory. But you, 
sir, have enabled my brethren in the Eng- 
lish army to be tolerable proficients in field 
practice. Napoleon smiled at my reply, 
and immediately proceeded to a question, 
which, though it is not altogether discon- 
nected with the former subject, I did not 

expect. It was this. " Who is your 

first physician in London?" — '^ That is an 
enquiry which I did not expect, and cannot 
take upon myself to answer : there are so 
many physicians of eminence there, that it 
would be hazardous to mention a favourite 
s 2 



210 

name.'' — '' But have you no particular per- 
son in the profession that takes the lead ?'' — 
^^ No, indeed ; there are, it it is true, fash- 
ionable physicians, who have their run for 
a season or two, or even three ; but I could 
not give the preference to one, without doing 
injustice to fifty. I could, I think, more 
particularly distinguish eminent surgeons." 

" What is the general fee ?" " That 

frequently depends on the rank and fortune 
of the patient.'' — " What is the highest 
that you have ever known?" — ** I really 
cannot give a precise answer to that ques- 
tion : no particular sum in that way at pre- 
sent occurs to me% Handsome fortunes 
are sometimes acquired by practice in a few 
years ; but that falls to the lot of but few, 
whom particular circumstances, and distin- 
guished patronage, as well as professional 
skill, have raised into great celebrity." — 
" When Corvesart attended my wife, the 
empress Maria Louisia, on the birth of my 
son, he was ordered three thousand Napo- 
leons. I wished, at one time, that the em- 
press should be bled, according to your 



211 

practice, but Corvesart refused : she was in 
a very full habit. You are much employ- 
ed on shore, are you not, as well as on board 
of ships?" — " I am sometimes asked to visit 
the patients of my friends." — " Do they 
pay you well?" — " I never yet accepted of 
a fee. While I serve, I am satisfied with 
my pay." — " What does your king allow 
you ?" — '^ Two hundred and twenty pounds 
a year." — ^^ You have been all your life at 
sea, have you not ?'^ ^' I have, indeed ; and 
during a space of near twenty years."— 
"Does your king provide for you after- 
wards ?" — " Yes, sir, he does. At the ex- 
piration of six years service, he allows me, 
provided I am no longer in employ, six 
shillings a day: but that sum is not in- 
creased for any subsequent service, until I 
have completed thirty years." "That, I 
think, is not an adequate remuneration." 
" I think so too, general ; however, I have 
no right to complain, because I knew 
the conditions before I engaged; and, in 
England, we are never obliged to do so 
against our inclinations." " Is it not 



212 

very expensive living in the island of St, 
Helena?'' — "Very much so: a stranger 
cannot board under thirty shillings a day.*' 
" How, then, do you contrive to live ?'' — 
" At present, by the hospitality of a very 
kind and generous friend ; and, occasional- ^ 
ly, I have recourse to the fare of the North- 
umberla.nd." He continued his questions, 
and I my replies, as you will perceive. 
" The army must be an enormous expense 

to your government, is it not ?'' " Not 

more, I trust, than it can maintain. It is, 
I fancy, greater than the navy.'' *' But from 
what cause ?" — " The expense of the army 
is oftentimes, and indeed necessarily in- 
creased, I conceive, from its local situa- 
tion." '' And why not the navy ?^' " The 
latter is merely stationary, and the former 
more or less permanent." "Is not Eng- 
land more attached to its navy than its ar- 
my ?" — " The navy is certainly consider- 
ed as its more natural, essential, and effect- 
ual defence ; but the army will sometimes 
raise its head very high, and be regarded 
with a rival favour when it is crowned, as it 



213 

so often is, with laurels : such a field as 
that of Waterloo can hardly find adequate 

gratitude in the hearts of Englishmen.^' 

To this observation Napoleon made no re- 
ply, nor did he give an unpleasant look : — 
But he changed the subject. 

^' Where," said he, ^^were you educa- 
ted?"— I replied, " in Edinburgh."— "You 
have very eminent professors there, I know: 
I remember doctor Brown's system was in 
repute during my first Italian campaign. I 
have read of your other men of note, and I wash 
you would call them to my recollection by 
repeating their names." I accordingly men- 
tioned Black in Chemistry ; Monro in 
Anatomy and Surgery^ and Gregory in 
Physic ; but, at the same time I observed , 
that while I particularized these distinguish- 
ed characters whose pupil I was; I could 
name others of equal merit in the different 

schools of the British empire. -" I never 

knew," said Napoleon, " but one physi-- 
cian who was infallible in his diagnostics. 
He was certain in his discovery of the nature 



214 

and seat of a disease; his name was D ubos; but 
strange to say, he could not prescribe : and, 
consequently, would never undertake the 
treatment or cure of a complaint whose char- 
acter his acumen could so accurately pene- 
trate." I observed, '' that he had a ytry able 
surgeon wdth him in Egypt, monsieur Larry/' 
^' Yes,'' he answered, ''he was excellent in 
his field arrangements ; but I have had men 
with me, who, in scientific knowledge, 
were far superior to him." '' Mn Percy,'' 
I said, '' who joined you on the morning of 
the battle of Austerlitz, had the reputation 
of superior professional talents." '' Ah,'^ 
he exclaimed, with a glow on his counte- 
nance, '' how did you know that?" I must 
either have read of it in Larry's Publication, 
or heard it mentioned by general Bertrand." 
— He continued. 

" It was my intention in France to have 
classed your profession into three divisions. 
I have always respected it : it is a science 
and more than a science; because it re- 
quires a knowledge of several : Chemis- 



215 

try, Anatomy, Botany, and Physic. For 

the first class I should have selected the 
most eminent of the profession.'' "But 
how, general, would you have discovered 
them ?" — " By their reputation, income, 
and the figure which they made in the 
w^orld." " But would not that plan be lia- 
ble to objection? many men of merit live 

in obscurity." " Then there let them 

remain," he said, "what else are they fit 
for ? if I were to choose a surgeon from your 
fleet, should not I take him from the North- 
umberland in preference to the little brig ?'' 
— " There general, you may also be mista- 
ken." " No, no, no; a man of talent in every 
station and condition in life will discover 
himself. Depend upon it I should be safe, 
in a general sense, in adopting my own 
plan. The first ranks should have had 
some honorary marks of distinction, exclu- 
sive of that respect in private life which 
their education will always command. The 
third class should be humble in the ex- 
treme ; nor would they have been permit- 
ted to administer any thing beyond the 



216 

most inoffensive medicines. '^ '' Perhaps, 
sir,'' I remarked, " after such an arrange- 
ment, you might, according to our English 
custom, have submitted future candidates 
to an examination." ^' Yes,'' he repUed, 
" that might have been right." 

" A physician," continued he, " appears 
to me to resemble a general officer. He 
must be a man of observation and discern- 
ment, with a penetrating eye. Possessed 
of these qualities, he will discover the 
strength of the enemy's position. Thus far, 
doctor Dubos could go, and no farther. A 
sagacious practitioner will just employ suf- 
ficient force to dispossess the enemy of his 
strong hold : a force beyond that might in- 
jure the citadel. Now, I think, if you car- 
ry your mercury too far you must do mis- 
chief: so I say of the practice of Sangra- 
do." 1 then expressed to him my sur- 
prise at the general good health which he 
had uniformly experienced during the sin- 
gular vicissitudes of his extraordinary life. 
" Yes," he said, '^ my health has been very 



217 

good. When the talian army was en- 
camped in the vicinity of swamps, many 
suffered by fever, while I had not any com- 
plaint ; as I observed temperance and a 
generally abstemious balancing between 
my appetite and the powers of my digestive 
organs. I had, at the same time, exercise 
sufficient, both of the body and the mind." 
— " It was reported, however, that you were 
very ill on your return from Egypt.''— -~ 
" I was very thin ; and at that time subject 
to a bad cough. For my recovery I was 
indebted to doctor Corvesart, who blistered 
me twice on the chest." '' Report also 
said, that you were then subject also to an 

eruption, at least on the skin. Your 

friend Goldsmith says so." — " Yes," he 
answered, " I will tell you." — Never shall 
I forget the pleasant manner in which he re- 
lateci this anecdote. 

" x\t the siege of Toulon, I commanded 
a small battery of two guns. One of your 
boats approached close to the shore, and 
firing their gun, killed two canonneers by 

T 



220 

^ — " Have you read them?'' — " I have in- 
deed, and with more than common in- 
terest." — " And what occasioned this par- 
ticular feehng of interest ?'' — " There is 
more truth and candour displayed in these 
two publications than any I have hitherto 
read ; and more particularly the work of 
Mr. Boyce, which I should wish you to 
see.'' — " Why, then, did you not buy it for 
me ?'' — " There happened, general, to be 
but one copy on the island, and it was pur- 
chased by a gentleman, on his way to China, 
who wished me to read it ; that, by cor- 
recting any inaccuracies I might ooserve, 
the work would become doubly interesting 
to his friends in that part of the world.'' 
" Is it like the work of Helen Maria Wil- 
liams?" — '^' Very superior, and much more 
authentic." — ^^ Of what does it treat?" — 
" Your motives for quitting Elba : your 
subsequent conduct, from your landing at 
Frejus till you embarked in the Bellero- 
phon. They still, however, represent you 
as subject to violent fits of passion, taking 
hasty strides across your apartment, with 



221 

other impetuous marks of anger and disap- 
pointment. There is also a pathetic story 
i-elated of the introduction of general Solig- 
nac, when he waited upon you from the 
chamber of deputies, to urge your abdica- 
tion. This author, as well as Paul, whose 
letters are under a feigned name, gives very 
interesting particulars of Waterloo. It will, 
I think, make you smile, general, when I 
tell you that your guide La Coste is nqt 
forgotten. He is represented as having 

been most dreadfully frightened." 

" Frightened! at what?" — " At the balls, 
sir, that were flying about him. It is said 
also, that you, at the time, rallied and con- 
soled him with the assurance, that it was 
much more honourable to receive a ball in 
the breast than in the back. Besides, he is 
made to complain, that he was very inade- 
quately recompensed for the labour and dan- 
gers of the day ; that a single Napoleon w^as 
his only reward." Napoleon instantly re- 
plied, with an intelligent smile, " It might 
.as well have been said five hundred." — J- 
continued :— • 

T 2 



222 

*' Mr. Boyce appears to me to have been 
%^ery attentive to accuracy in his report of 
the two contending armies." '' What num- 
ber," I was instantly asked, ^Moeahe give 
to that of France ?'' " He quotes from an 
officer, and makes them to have been seven- 
ty thousand." — The reply was — *^ I had 
seventy. one thousand : and how many Eng- 
lish is it stated there were in the field ?'' — 
'' Including the German Legion, I under- 
stand there were thirty thousand British 
troops ; which, united with the Belgians, 
Hanoverians, and Brunswickers, formed 
a whole of sixty-eight thousand men."— 
*' How many Prussians were there imder 
Bulow ?" — ^^ I cannot correctly say, per- 
haps fifteen thousand." — " iVnd how many 
on the arrival of Blucher, in the evening?" 
— ^* I really do not know : but it is said 
that the duke of Wellington acknowledges 
how very happy he felt at the appearance 
of his old friend ; and that the person did 
not exist who could have been more wel- 
come to him in the course of the evening 
than Blucher." 



223 

Ever since I had enjoyed an occasional 
communication with Napoleon, I never 
ceased to be animated with a strong and cu- 
rious desire, to learn his opinion of our re- 
nowned commander. I had repeatedly 
.heard that he did not withold it, but I could 
never ascertain the fact on any certain 
authority. The present moment appeared 
to afford me the opportunity which I had so 
anxiously sought ; as he seem^ed to be in a 
temper of more than usual communication 
and courtesy, though I have never had rea- 
son no complain of either. At all hazards, 
I therefore resolved to make the trial ; as it 
might be the only opportunity I should 
ever possess.—" The people of England,'' 
I said, " appear to feel an interest in know- 
ing your sentiments respecting the military 
character of the duke of Wellington. They 
have no doubt that you would be just; and, 
perhaps, they may indulge the expectation 
that your justice would produce an eulo- 
gium of which the duke of Wellington 
might be proud." Silence ensued : I be- 
gan to think that I might have gone rather 



too far ; for it is most true, that I had never 
before addressed him without looking full in 
his face for a reply, but my eyes dropped 
at the pause, and no reply was made. 
This, however, was the second question I 
had ever asked which remained a moment 
unanswered. 

At the same time, he did not appear to 
be in the least displeased; as in a few 
minutes he renewed the conversation with 
this enquiry. " You mentioned a Review 

— ^ what does it contain ?" " Criticisms 

on new publications as they appear ; and this 
number observes upon three publications 
that relate to you : one in particular, said 
to be by a lieutenant of the Bellerophon.'* 
— " What could he find on my subject to 
work up into a book ?" — ^' I am almost 
ashamed, general, to repeat to you the trash 
these publications contain : indeed, it sur- 
prised me, that so respectable a work as this 
review should condescend to notice them, 
and quote such silly falsehoods ; nor can iX 
.be accounted for in any other way, than .a 



225 

desire to gratify the public impatience to be 
informed of every thing and any thing that 
may relate to you. It contains, among 
other misinformations, accounts of your 
conduct and demeanour while you resided 
at the Briars. You will judge of the inge- 
nuity of its inventions when I add, that he 
mentions your being angry with one of the 
little girls, because she was ignorant of your 
coin, the Napoleon. You are also represent- 
ed, on the same authority, as having been 
in a great rage with one of her brothers, for 
having shown you the picture of the great 
mogul on a pack of cards. Nay, sir, mon- 
sieur De las Cases does not escape : for he 
is sent to the side-board to play at Patience^ 
until the new pack would deal with more 
facility."—'' Your editors, '^ said Napoleon, 
^^ are mfinitely amusing : but is it to be 
supposed that they believe what they w^ite ?'^ 
^' At least, sir, I presume, that they hope 
to amuse those who read. There is, how- 
ever, another work, which, from its appa- 
^•ent authenticity, has been received with at- 
tention. It is written by a Frenchman, the 



226 

abbe Pradt." I was now perfectly con- 
founded by a general, and, as . it appeared, 
an involuntary laugh ; with an exclamation 
of ^' O, the abbe!" — It appears that this 
personage was the very humblest of the 
most humble adulators of Napoleon : he had 
been in a low situation in the police, but 
possessed qualities that are favourable to 
advancement in such times as those in which 
he lived. ^' He had both cunning and hu- 
mour," said Napoleon, " and I took him 
with me when I went to Spain ; and, as I 
had to wage war with monasteries, I found 
the abbe a phalanx against the dominion of 
priests. De las Cases,*' he added, ^' will 
give you fifty entertaining anecdotes of the 
abbe. Can you tell me what is become of 
him ?" — " I really have not heard. He 
also gives a description of your return to 
Warsaw after the disasters in Russia ; which, 
I doubt not, would amuse you. He de- 
scribes a tall figure entering his hotel wrap- 
ped in fur, more resembling a being of the 
other world than any thing earthly. — It was 
Caulincourt. He says, likewise, you were 



22r 

concealed at the English hotel, where lie 
procured you some excellent wine. This 
review, however, does not spare the abbe^ 
who declares that the subjugation of Rus- 
sia was inevitable, had it not been for the 
sagacity of one man : ' And pray,' says the 
Reviewer, ^ who is this man ? — Why no less 
a personage than the abbe Pradt, who would 
have it thought that by his roguery he out- 
witted his master.''^ Napoleon does not 
often laugh ; but the story, or the idea of 
the abbe, or perhaps both, brought his 
risible faculties into complete exertion. 

Unroll your map of Flanders, my friend ; 
display it in due form on your table, and 
follow me, if you can. I was this morn- 
ing curiously gratified by a military descrip- 
tion of the various movements of the 
French army, on Napoleoii's Chart ^ from 
the day it passed the Sambre to the event- 
ful battle of Waterloo. I naturally ex- 
pected, as you may suppose, a detail of 
those various circumstances by which it 
Was lost, or, which amounts to die same 



228 

thing,— The whif and the wherefore it was 
not gamed. My conjecture was not ill- 
founded, for Gourgond proceeded to point 
out to me the errors which were. committed 
by some of the principal commanders in 
the French armv, and proved so fatal to the 
last great eifort of their imperial master. 
These he traced with a readines-. and per- 
spicuity which induced me to imagine, at 
the time, that I clearly comprehended the 
whole. Nevertheless, I have my doubts, 
whether I shall make the errors of these 
blundering captains as clear to you, as they 
were, m my fancy, made apparent to me. 

N i?oleon, it seems, was completely igno- 
rant of the movement made from Frasnes. 
by count Erelon (Drouet), on the 16th. 
For when he appeared near Ligny^ Napo- 
leon actually deployed a column of French 
to oppose him, mistaking his force at the 
time, for a division of the Prussian army. 
Erelon was now made acquainted with the 
defeat of the Prussians ; and, without think- 
ing it ne. ssary to have any co;ui..unication 



229 

with Napoleon, as to future operations, re- 
turned to his original position. That di* 
vision of the army, therefore, became totally 
useless for that day both to the emperor 
and to marshal Ney. Grouchy, losing sight 
of Blacher, and taking the circuitous route 
which he pursued, was represented as hav- 
ing committed a most fatal error. While 
the right wing of the French, in the batde 
of the 18th, was engaged in defeating the 
flank movement of Bulow, of which they 
were perfectly apprised, marshal Ney had 
orders to engage the attention of the 
English during this part of the action ; but 
by no means to hazard the loss of his troops, 
or to exhaust their strength. Ney, it ap- 
pears, did not obey the order, or met with 
circumstances that rendered it impracticable 
for him to adhere to it. He was stated to 
have contended for the occupation of a 
height, and thus weakened his corps, so that 
when the imperial guards were brought to 
the charge, he was unable to assist them. 
I understood that Napoleon had crossed the 
Sambre with 111,000 men. In the battles 
u 



230 

of Ligny and Quatre Bras he lost 10,000. 
Grouchy 's division consisted of 30,000 de- 
tached to follow Blucher, leaving an effec- 
tive force, on the morning of the 18th, of 
71,000. I hope you wdll comprehend my 
account, which I think was the purport of 
general Gourgond's statement to me ; though 
I do not know any two characters more lia- 
ble to a small share of perplexity, than a 
sailor describing a terra fir ma battle ; and a 
soldier entering into the particulars of a na- 
val engagement. But, by way of climax, I 
was assured that the report of Buonaparte's 
standing on an elevated w^ooden frame to 
obtain a commanding view of the field of 
battle, is altogether a misrepresentation. — 
It was, on the contrary, a raised mound of 
earth, where he placed himself with his staff; 
and the ground being sloppy and slippery, 
he ordered some trusses of straw to be placed 
under his feet to keep them dry, and pre- 
vent his sliding. 

Tftis was the last visit I paid to Napo- 
leon : and when I took my leave of him, he 



rose from his chair, and said, '^ I wish you 
health and happiness, and a safe voyage to 
your country, where I hope you will find 
your friends in health and ready to receive 
you/' 

I had been uniformly treated with such 
respectful kindness, and, in some degree, 
with such partial confidence, by general 
Bertrand, Mons. De las Cases, and, indeed, 
by every one of the suite, that I could not 
take my leave of them without a consider- 
able degree of sensibility. A more amia- 
blCj united, and delightful family than that 
of general Bertrand I never yet saw : nor is 
his affection as a husband, and his fondness 
as a father, less striking than his fidelity to 
his master. 

And here I conclude my Narrative. 

If any other little matters should occur to 
my recollection, I can make a kind of post- 
script of them. The sketch which you 

desired of St. Helena, may be the subject 



232 

of conversation hereafter, by your hospita- 
ble and friendly fire- side, In the mean 

^ime, and at all times, 

I am, &c. &c, 

W. W. 



233 

ADDITIONAL NOTICES. 

Captain Piontowski^ an officer in the 
Polish troops attached to Buonaparte's per- 
son, who had accompanied him to Elba, and 
had a command m the little army that land- 
ed in France, formed one of the suite which 
accompanied the ex-emperor to England* 
He was, however, refused to attend the 
exile of his fallen master. The disappoint- 
ment he suffered, on the occasion, was ex- 
treme; and he still continued to persevere 
in his application to follow that fortune to 
which a sense of the most ardent and affec- 
tionate duty impelled him. Notwithstand- 
ing a lady from France, to whom he had 
been betrothed, joined him at Plymouth and 
married him, he still most zealously adhered 
to his original object ; and, having at length 
obtained the sanction of government, h^ 
took his passage in a store-ship for St. He- 
lena. The arrival of this faithful follower 
was not expected: Napoleon, however, 
could not but be sensible of his attachment, 
and received him with kindness. But 
u 2 



234 

neither his situation nor his manners were 
such as to associate him with the suite, nor 
did his modesty appear to expect it. An 
apartment was assigned him by thq generals ; 
and Mr. O'Meara, the surgeon, thinking he 
was neglected, with that goodness of heart 
and generous nature which distinguishes his 
character, made him welcome to his table. 
Such were the amiable and unassuming 
manners of the romantic Pole, that this dis- 
tant treatment of him was a subject of gene- 
ral animadversion ; and a want of generous 
feeling was attributed to Napoleon, for in- 
attention to such an evident example of 
fidelity. But this afterwards appeared to 
be a groundless suspicion. The captain 
occupied his garret during the night, and 
occasionally amused himself with his gun 
during the day ; happy in the enthusiastic 
satisfaction of sharing the fate of the great 
object of his Idolatry. It happened, how- 
ever, in one of his sporting excursions, that 
his piece accidentally went off in the act of 
loading it ; and very severely wounded his 
right-hand. With this mischance Napo- 



235 

leon became acquainted, and expressed a 
desire to see and console him : but, pre- 
vious to the execution of this kind inten- 
tion, a female servant of general Montholon 
was removed from one of the very comfort- 
able rooms at Longwood, and Piontowski 
was conveyed thither. The following day, 
Napoleon paid him the projected visit, but 
without suspecting he had been in any other 
apartment, and amply repaid his devoted 
Pole for the wound in his hand, by giving 
such a warm delight to his honest and faith- 
ful heart. 



In speaking of different diseases to which 
the human frame was subject, a favourite 
topic with Napoleon, when a professional 
man was by any means admitted to him, 
the small-pox happened to be mentioned ; 
and he instantly entered upon the discovery 
of vaccination, with which he appeared to 
be perfectly acquainted, and whose benefi- 
cial eifects hcmentioaed with the highest 



236 

encomiums. Nor did his observations close 
without their usual finale an interroga- 
tory. '' Have not the people of England 
given me some credit, for my having adopt- 
ed, encouraged, and indeed decreed, the 
rigid observance of Dr. Jenner^s system ?" 



The quiet, unassuming demeanour of the 
persons composing the suite of Napoleon, 
never knew any interruption on the deck 
of the Northumberland, where we held our 
conversation, but when general Gourgond 
chose to display the bloody track of his 
heroic feats in the field. No idea, however, 
is intended to be conveyed of his exceeding 
the real prowess of his military character ; 
but only that he loved to talk about it^ when 
his former companions in arms were silent. 
Among other proofs of his hair-breadth 
'scapes, he was fond of exhibiting a sword, 
whose renown, as well as that of its owner, 
was engraved on the blade ; and whose in- 
scription related, that with this mighty and 



237 

glorious weapon he saved the life of Napo- 
leon, in Russia, when it was threatened by 
the uplifted arm of a fierce and avenging 
Cossack. 



The following is a correct abstract of a 
conversation had with general Bertrand ; 
when, and particularly at the commencement 
of it, his feelings appeared to be very strongly 

excited, He acknowleged very fully, 

and lamented very sensibly, the too extend- 
ed grasp of Napoleon's ambition. '* It was 
*^ in itself a grand and noble principle, and, 
" left to its own original objects, and confin- 
" ed to its natural operations, might have 
^* proved a source of extensive good and 
" untarnished glory. But evil councils, and 
" who can, at all moments, and under all cir- 
" cumstances, repel their insinuating or mo- 
*^ mentary influence, provoked the excesses, 
" which have been so often seen to strip the 
" most commanding of all passions, of its 
"associate virtues.'^ Here his opinion 



238 

seemed to point to Maret, duke of Bassano, 
as the cause of unspeakable mischief, and 
an example that inferior spirits are some- 
times permitted to influence minds of a far 
higher order; and not unfrequently to their 

dishonour, if not to their ruin. " Napo- 

" leon," he added, " is a most extraorcJinary 
" and wonderful man. — The conversation 
proceeded, and I replied. 

" That is not to be doubted : but I wish 
** to see more of the ordinary man in him. 
'^ Could I but observe him endearingly 
*^ caressing children, as you, general, do 
" your Hortentia and your Henry ; or play- 
" ing with a dog, or patting his horse, I 
*' should consider him with very different 
" sentiments from those which I now feel.'' 
— " Believe me, dear doctor, he is a mam 
"totally different from all others." 

" That may be : but I want him to pos- 
*^ sess certain qualities in common with 
" ordinary men, and I wish you would tell 
^^ me that he discovers, at any time, the feeU 



239 

*^ ings of affection and tenderness ; the capa- 
" city to be a kind husband and a fond 
"parent." 

" That I can most assuredly do. He is 
" not without a heart, in your sense of the 
" expression. But he does not, cannot, will 
"not make a parade of it. Is it possible 
" that you should expect any thing of a 
" frivolous, or trifling appearance from him; 
" and, in a character like his, the amiable 
" playfulness of private domestic life, might 
" have such a semblance ; besides, the in- 
" dividual feelings of the man must, after 
" all, be lost to those who only view him in 
" the blaze of his public life." 

— "But that blaze, general Bertrand, is 
" now extinguished ; and I wish for his 
" sake and the honour of human nature, that 
" the symptoms of love, tenderness, and at- 
" tachment might appear, in some direction 
" or other, to beam from him." 

" You may believe me, when I assure 



240 

*^ you, that though they may not have ap- 
^* peared to you, they are by no means want- 
" ing in him. — By way of example, ima- 
" gine a day as it used to be passed at the 
^^ Thidlleries: I will describe it to you. — 
" At six in the morning he would be exa- 
" mining a Russian dispatch ; at seven, the 
"same from Vienna; at eight, he might 
" visit a work of art ; at ten, a review succeed- 
" ed ; at twelve, the reception of some de- 
" partment ; at one, the affairs of the army ; 
" at four, a prefect demanded audience ; at 
" six, perhaps, he had appointed to meet 
^^ the empress, whom he would treat with 
" every mark of kindness and affection ; ad- 
" mire, with a Parisian gallantry, the em- 
" broidery of her gown, the folds of her robe, 
*^ the flowers in her hair, or the display of 
" jewels on her person : while he would con- 
" tinue devoted to her, till public business 
"again required his attention; to which he 
" was ever in a state of preparation. He 
" was never sensual, never gross, but in an 

" unceasing state of action.'* Count De 

las Cases continued the subject 



241 

" He never speaks of himself; he never 
^^ mentions his achievements. Of money 
^Mie is totally regardless; and he was not 
'^ known to express a regret for any part of 
"his treasure but the diamond necklace, 
" which he wore constantly in his neckcloth^ 
^* because it was the gift of his sister, the 
" princess Bourgoise, whom he tenderly 
" loved.'' This he lost, after the battle of 
Waterloo. 



I was naturally induced to make a sketch 
of the state and position of our passengers, 
at the moment when we came to an anchor, 
off St. Helena; but, having mislaid it at the 
moment when I wrote the account of our 
arrival in one of the foregoing Letters, I 
then stated it from the general recollection 
of the instant. Having now recovered the 
sketch, I have added it as a more exact pic- 
ture of the scene, and which I have been 
persuaded will not be considered as an inj- 
pertinent repetition. 

X 



242 

The morning was pleasant, and the'breeze 
steady : at dawn we were sufficiently near to 
behold the black peak of St. Helena. Be- 
tween eight and nine, we were close under 
the Sugar-Loaf HilL The whole of the 
French party had quitted their cabins, with 
the exception of Napoleon, and taken their 
respective stations, — On the right stood 
madame Montholon, with her arm entwin- 
ed in that of the general, her husband. Her 
look seemed to ask a cheering influence from 
him : I could fancy that she said — " If this 
is to be my lot, still I have you for my 
comfort; and there is Tristram, that little 
darUng, who will be a comfort to us both.'' 
On the poop sat madame Bertrand, and the 
marshal stood behind her. I was the only 
unoccupied person belonging to the ship^ 
and could therefore, undisturbed, contem- 
plate the scene around me. I was afraid to 
approach madame Bertrand, for I was near 
enough to perceive an action in the muscle 
of her throat which betokened a sob. — De 
las Cases, resting his arm on the shoulder 
of his son, was stretchino: his little fiq;urj ou 



243 

tip-toe, but in vain, to look over the gang- 
way ; but all his exertion would not enable 
him to see more than half- way down the 
mountain.— General Gourgond endeavour- 
ed, by a smile, to suppress what he felt ; for 

he had no female to console him. The 

servants were gazing widi open mouths, 
and all their eyes ; while the children, un- 
conscious of island or rock, or prison or 
palace, were performing their little evolu- 
tions as usual ; when the Newfoundland 
dog Vv'Ould occasionally break in upon their 
hollovv^ squares. — We did not see Napo- 
leon till the ship had anchored in front of 
the town. About eleven he made his ap- 
pearance. He ascended the poop, and 

there stood, examining with his little glass the 
numerous cannon which bristled in his view. 
I observed him with the utmost attention, 
as I stood beside him for near half an hour; 
and couid not discover, in his countenance, 
the least symptoms of strong or particular 
sensations. • He afterwards rallied madame 
Bertrand on the elegant stockings she wore 
on the occasion ; when she tried to check 



244 

the tear ; but it would not do, She ex- 
claimed, " Oh, doctor W- , we are in- 
deed too eood for St, Helena !" 



THE ENC. 



H 52-79 



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xOv^ 



